NORTHERN IRELAND

Daylight Saving Bill

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on the potential effects of the provisions of the Daylight Saving Bill on Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the provisions of the Daylight Saving Bill on Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: I have not received any representations on this matter, nor have I made any assessment on its potential effect as the text of this private Member's Bill has not yet been published. The summary of the Bill as presented at First Reading suggests that its subject matter is devolved to Northern Ireland Ministers.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05.

Owen Paterson: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available for the years preceding the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has no contract with Post Office Ltd.
	The Department has three contracts/agreements with Royal Mail:
	1. A ministerial bag delivery service. Since 12 April, this service has cost £363.27.
	2. A freepost facility on a pay-per-use basis. There has been no expenditure on this facility since devolution.
	3. A contract existed with Royal Mail specifically for the delivery of candidates' mailings in Northern Ireland during the recent parliamentary election. The total cost of the service was £682,948.33. The costs were met from the Consolidated Fund and were within the limits approved by HM Treasury.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

Owen Paterson: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) does not support any direct services that could be provided by the Post Office. The Department continues to keep the use of all suppliers under review.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on press cuttings services in each of the last 12 months.

Hugo Swire: Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available for the period preceding the completion of devolution on 12 April 2010.
	Since 12 April 2010, the Department has incurred no expenditure on press cutting services.

Universities: Fees and Charges

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the effects of the proposed rise in the cap on university tuition fees on students from Northern Ireland wishing to study in England.

Owen Paterson: I have not had any such discussions, but I would be happy to consider doing so if requested by Northern Ireland Ministers or other interested parties.

SCOTLAND

Constituencies

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's policy is on retaining local public inquiries as part of the Boundary Commission for Scotland's process of determining Scottish parliamentary constituency and regional list boundaries.

David Mundell: The Government have no plans to amend Scottish Parliament boundary review policy at this stage.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05.

David Mundell: None. The Scotland Office has ongoing contracts with the Post Office for the delivery of mail between its offices in London and Edinburgh and is only charged for what is used.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

David Mundell: There are no Scotland Office services that require to use the Post Office network.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on press cuttings services in each of the last 12 months.

David Mundell: In each of the last 12 months the Scotland Office spent £830.00 on press cuttings.

Post Office

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd on the expansion of services at local post offices in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I recently met with representatives of the Royal Mail Group when we discussed a range of issues including the Post Office network.

Post Office

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss the operation of Post Office services.

Michael Moore: I have regular exchanges with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues. The Government are committed to a stable and sustainable post office network and through the Post Office Bill we will be putting the Post Office on a more secure financial footing.

Public Sector: Manpower

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the likely reduction in the number of jobs in the public sector in each constituency in Scotland in each of the next five years.

Michael Moore: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility published their employment forecasts for the whole of the UK on 30 June 2010. Based on the June 2010 Budget, in three years time public sector employment will be 150,000 higher compared to the forecast based on the March 2010 Budget, and total employment is forecast to rise each year over the next five years. Latest figures for Scotland show that employment is rising but the Government cannot be complacent. This is why the Government will continue to take decisive action to support the rebalancing of the economy, so the private sector will carry on to drive the recovery as the necessary spending reductions take effect.

Visits Abroad

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 658W, on visits abroad, whether  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department have visited Malawi in the last 12 months.

Michael Moore: No  (a) Ministers or  (b) officials of the Scotland Office have visited Malawi in the last 12 months.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has  (a) evaluated and  (b) commissioned on the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the agricultural sector.

James Paice: Over the past 10 years DEFRA has commissioned and evaluated research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria in farmed livestock, spending more than £4.5 million over the last five years. A further £1 million has been used to commission research on AMR in companion animals and horses.
	DEFRA's AMR research programme is focused on five main areas, all of relevance to agriculture:
	Developing appropriate tools for AMR detection and characterisation;
	Investigation of how mutations/acquired resistance develop and are transferred;
	Qualitative risk assessments (including the potential risks to both humans and animals of AMR in agriculture);
	Spread/transmission of AMR genes and/or host bacteria, and;
	Options for prevention and control of AMR.
	In addition to the research commissioned directly by DEFRA, the Department also evaluates the impact on policy of research commissioned by other funders in the UK and further afield. The evaluation of such research is primarily performed by the DEFRA Antimicrobial Resistance Co-ordination Group.
	Further detail on current and completed DEFRA AMR research projects is available on the DEFRA website.

Agriculture: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in farming.

James Paice: The use of antimicrobials, including antibiotics, as growth promoters is banned in Europe.
	Those growth promoters containing antimicrobials used in human medicines were banned following a decision in 1999. The ban of the remaining antimicrobial growth promoters was done on a precautionary basis and was phased in over a number of years with the final compounds being withdrawn on 1 January 2006.

Agriculture: Antibiotics

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has assessed the merits of regulating the use of antibiotics in farming.

James Paice: In the United Kingdom, antimicrobials are available to farmers only following their prescription by a veterinary surgeon. This provision is in the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (2009) (SI 2009 No. 2297).
	It is the responsibility of the prescribing veterinary surgeon to determine the most appropriate medicine following diagnosis or clinical assessment.
	Further regulation of antimicrobials used in farmed animal production may be considered if new evidence emerges to demonstrate that either human or animal health was likely to be compromised by their use. At the present time this is not the case in the United Kingdom.
	The DEFRA Antimicrobial Resistance Co-ordination Group considers all new evidence as it emerges.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to  (a) her Department and  (b) farmers of resolving mapping issues in relation to claims for Single Farm Payments in each of the last three years.

James Paice: The rural land register (RLR) is our spatial database maintained by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and used to validate farm subsidy payments, primarily the single payment scheme (SPS) but also schemes under the Rural Development Programme for England. It is not possible to split the costs associated with maintaining the RLR for each scheme. The operational cost of maintaining the RLR in relation to the last three SPS scheme years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost (£ million) 
			 2007-08 2.913 
			 2008-09 2.891 
			 2009-10 3.744 
			  Notes: 1. The financial years broadly correspond to SPS years 2007, 2008 and 2009. 2. Costs for SPS year 2010 are not shown as this year's work is unfinished. 
		
	
	The costs were unusually high in 2009-10 owing to RPA undertaking a major exercise with the RLR where some 2.4 million land parcels were updated. Additional project costs associated with the update, including some significant remapping, amounted to a further £11.649 million.
	RPA is not able to estimate costs incurred by individual farmers as they vary with each business. It should be noted that participation in the SPS and any mapping needed to support scheme claims is voluntary.

Agriculture: Sustainable Development

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will hold a conference on sustainable agriculture, food security and levels of food production in order to inform the development of her Department's policies on these matters.

James Paice: holding answer 19 November 2010
	 The Department has just published its Business Plan which sets out DEFRA's priorities, including helping to ensure a secure, environmentally sustainable and healthy supply of food. Our Business Plan sets out the actions the Department will take relating to sustainable agriculture, food security and food production. DEFRA Ministers and officials also regularly meet those with an interest in the sustainability of our food system.
	In addition, I have assured the House of the willingness of either the Secretary of State or myself to participate in a stakeholder-convened conference to examine the current state of sustainability in our livestock industry, should a suitable event be organised in 2011.

Carbon Emissions: Business

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration she has given to bringing forward proposals for mandatory reporting of carbon dioxide emissions by listed companies.

James Paice: holding answer 15 November 2010
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright) on 27 October 2010,  Official Report, column 319W.

Cotton

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will oppose the continuation of EU cotton subsidies.

James Paice: I believe that the time has come for the last remaining direct support to the EU cotton sector to be de-coupled and the UK will be pursuing this end as part of our negotiating position in the forthcoming CAP Reform round.

Dairy Farming

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance her Department provides to dairy farmers.

James Paice: I chair the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, which enables dairy farmers to discuss key issues with processors and their customers. I am reinvigorating the Forum, to enable the dairy supply chain as a whole to address the issues facing it and reverse the UK's dairy trade deficit.
	We are seeking a positive outcome from the EU High Level Group on Milk so that dairy farmers can be competitive within a properly functioning market.
	Last year we paid the Dairy Fund in addition to the Single Farm Payment, and Rural Development Programme funding is available to support innovation.
	More broadly, we are introducing the Grocery Code Adjudicator to enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice to prevent large retailers from transferring excessive risks or unexpected costs onto their suppliers.

Departmental Food

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has guidelines on ensuring that food used for her Department's official functions is of domestic origin.

James Paice: The Government are committed to ensuring that food procured by Government Departments, and eventually the whole public sector, meets British or equivalent standards of production wherever this can be achieved without increasing overall costs. DEFRA's Structural Reform Plan states that we will introduce guidance on this by January 2011.
	To support this we are developing a series of Government Buying Standards for food that encourage the procurement of food that meets British or equivalent production standards, reduce the environmental impacts of food and catering services, and support a healthy balanced diet.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations she plans to  (a) repeal and  (b) amend in the next five years.

James Paice: At present, it is too early to project how many regulations will be repealed or amended over the course of the next five years.
	However, as part of the pipeline review of legislation inherited from the previous Administration, much of which is well advanced, my Department has identified four proposed regulations to be removed. Those removed are: waste controls regulations; rabies order; sewage sludge regulations; and private water supplies regulations.
	I have recently announced the appointment of a taskforce on farming regulation as well as a review of waste regulation. Among other things, these reviews will consider how the burden of regulation may be reduced. Such savings may be fed into the One-in, One-out process as "OUTs". Generally, my Department will continue to work to identify further potential "OUTs" for One-in, One-out.
	The Government's regulatory Forward Programme is due to be published later this year which will provide details of all forthcoming regulation.

Food Northwest

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to take steps to ensure that Food Northwest continues to receive support following the abolition of the North West Regional Development Agency.

James Paice: The Government are committed to rebalancing the economy towards the private sector as well as renewing and strengthening local economies and has paved the way for the creation of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The Government are working closely with all the regional development agencies to ensure an orderly transition to the new delivery structure.
	The LEPs' main goal will be to drive sustainable private sector growth and job creation, addressing local economic priorities. We also want these Partnerships to be locally driven, and we would encourage Food Northwest to engage proactively in the development of their local partnerships to ensure they understand how farming and the food industry contribute to the local economy.
	Although there is no core funding from Government for LEPs, we have created a new £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund which will operate over the next three years. This fund is open to bids from public-private partnerships, including, but not exclusively, the new LEPs and private bodies.

Food: Labelling

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of  (a) imported and  (b) domestic (i) beef, (ii) sheep and lamb, (iii) goat and kid and (iv) chicken which is (A) labelled in respect of the method of slaughter and (B) not so labelled at the point of sale.

James Paice: holding answer 19 November 2010
	No such estimate has been made by DEFRA as there is no statutory obligation to indicate the method of slaughter on meat labels.

Food: Waste

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research her Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) evaluated on the effects on levels of food waste of supermarket special offers.

Richard Benyon: To date neither DEFRA nor the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), our key delivery body on waste, have undertaken research on the effects on levels of food waste of supermarket special offers.
	However, wider research on food waste by WRAP indicates that a significant percentage of consumers (72%) believe supermarket promotions may contribute to the amount of food they throw away.
	WRAP has just initiated research to understand which promotions are being used by retailers on a range of fresh products, and to determine the impact of such promotions on both supply chain and household food waste.
	WRAP has been working with retailers to encourage the use of alternative promotions for perishable foods, to enable consumers to continue to take advantage of promotions but avoid buying more food than they might need or be able to use.

Forestry Commission: Land

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent from the public purse in each forest district on biodiversity protection and enhancement on Forestry Commission-managed land in England in each year between 2005 and 2010 to date.

James Paice: While all sustainable forest management can benefit biodiversity, the Forestry Commission has spent the money shown in the following table specifically for the benefit of biodiversity.
	
		
			   Financial year (April-March) 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 ( 1) 2010 
			 Sherwood 164,391 271,184 246,206 284,014 242,422 117,345 
			 East Anglia 204,394 254,077 334,322 275,848 237,370 119,185 
			 Northants 171,876 240,638 299,384 199,944 179,405 51,977 
			 North-east England 128,955 609,523 549,469 558,360 260,785 78,412 
			 North-west England 322,989 309,000 304,592 436,399 586,158 280,055 
			 North York moors 116,337 145,608 141,708 107,167 44,264 133,470 
			 South-east England 163,108 282,610 306,431 350,481 309,980 139,865 
			 New Forest 1,296,457 1,602,096 1,047,303 1,399,758 1,616,074 1,090,427 
			 West midlands 106,683 192,573 135,225 197,774 360,257 133,246 
			 Peninsula 160,540 328,001 299,493 86,825 64,006 44,530 
			 Forest of Dean 182,372 224,826 194,072 176,456 172,739 127,528 
			 Bedgbury project - - - 80,760 94,704 - 
			 Westonbirt - - - - - 232,579 
			 Fee head office 655,746 324,978 13,135 302,438 618,863 420,482 
			  3,673,847 4,785,114 3,871,339 4,456,223 4,787,026 2,969,101 
			 (1) April to October

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 62W, on genetically modified organisms: food, when she expects the European Commission report on the operation of the EU Legislation on the release of genetically modified (GM) organisms and the marketing of GM food and feed products to be published.

James Paice: The Commission is expected to issue its reports on the reviews of the operation of the EU legislation on the release of genetically modified (GM) organisms and the marketing of GM food and feed products (Directive 2001/18/EC and Regulation (EC) 1829/2003) before the end of 2010.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Food

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to establish a low-level threshold for the presence of genetically-modified events in imported third country feed material.

James Paice: The European Commission has recently tabled a proposal to harmonise the sampling and detection of unauthorised GM material in imported animal feed. The Commission proposes 0.1% as the lowest level at which genetically modified (GM) material can reliably be detected after allowing for technically unavoidable uncertainties in methods of sampling and analysis. Analytical results that did not exceed 0.1% would be treated as equivalent to zero for enforcement purposes.
	The proposal would apply only in relation to unauthorised GM organisms or derived material for which:
	a valid application has already been made for EU marketing approval, and for which there is a validated method of quantitative analysis; or
	(after 25 April 2012) there was an EU marketing approval which had expired, and for which a method of quantitative analysis had been validated.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the lead Government Department on this matter but is working closely with DEFRA given our strong shared interest. The FSA has consulted on the proposal and the Government will now determine what the UK position should be. An EU vote on the proposal is not expected before January 2011.

Livestock: Burial

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the future of her Department's rules on burial grounds for animals.

James Paice: The Animal By-products (ABP) Regulation which was recently reviewed and revised by the EU will maintain the ban on burial of fallen stock on farm in most circumstances. There is therefore no realistic possibility in the short term of the ban being lifted. However, there are a number of things we can do both in the short and longer term to ease the regulatory burden for farmers when disposing of their fallen stock. Firstly, the revised ABP legislation continues to recognise that fallen stock can be buried in remote areas and extends that principle to derogate from the rules requiring disposal by incineration or rendering in circumstances where accessing fallen stock for disposal is practically impossible or dangerous or when natural disasters make it disproportionate to require collection. When the revised rules come into effect next year, we will make guidance available to farmers on when such circumstances apply.
	Secondly, the revised legislation makes it more straightforward for on-farm containment systems such as bioreducers to be approved for use under EU rules and we will be pressing the Commission to bring forward the necessary proposals to make that happen as soon as possible.
	In the longer term, as the BSE risks have declined markedly since the on farm burial ban was first introduced in 2003 and as scrapie is not known to pose a risk to human health, we will be pressing the Commission for a review by the European Food Safety Authority of the current scientific rationale for the ban, so that it can inform future changes to ABP legislation.

Livestock: Slaughterhouses

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of  (a) cattle,  (b) sheep and lambs,  (c) goats and kids and  (d) chickens slaughtered for meat which was (i) stunned and slaughtered using halal methods, (ii) not stunned and slaughtered using halal methods and (iii) slaughtered by other methods in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: holding answer 18 November 2010
	The most recent data on halal slaughter was published in March 2004 by the Meat Hygiene Service in its Animal Welfare Review. This reported data was collected through a survey of meat plants which took place between 1 and 7 September 2003. The following table shows the number of animals killed for the production of halal meat during that one week period.
	
		
			Stunned 
			  Species  Not stunned  Pre cut  Post cut 
			 Cattle 0 850 6 
			 Young lambs 5,141 103,944 0 
			 Other sheep 11,454 19,230 0 
			 Goats 62 12 0 
			 Broilers 134,289 1,898,689 0 
			 Hens 11,495 92,296 0 
			 Ducks 36 0 0 
		
	
	More recent data collected by the EU Dialrel project, see:
	http://www.dialrel.eu/images/factsheet-assesment-practices.pdf
	shows that for halal slaughter in the UK, 75% of cattle, 93% of sheep and 100% of poultry are stunned before slaughter.

Livestock: Waste Disposal

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her most recent assessment is of the effects on the livestock industry of the six-day rule; and whether she plans to review the operation of that rule.

James Paice: The advice I have received is that standstills confer significant protection against the spread of fast moving diseases such as foot and mouth. The biggest factor in the size of an outbreak is the length of time between the disease entering the country and its detection (the so called silent spread period-typically three weeks). Properly observed standstills limit the number of movements livestock can make during this period and hence reduce the number of potentially infected premises. I have asked the Task Force on Food and Farming headed by Richard Macdonald to review the six-day rule and make recommendations as to whether it should be retained in its current form, modified or abolished.

Local Authorities: Freedom of Information

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of local authorities provided data for annual returns to her Department's survey on Waste Data Flow in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: Local authorities submit data quarterly to WasteDataFlow under the Landfill Allowances and Trading Scheme (England) Regulations 2004.
	In England, for the last five years (2005-06 to 2009-10), 100% of local authorities have provided data for all four quarters of each year. For 2005-06 to 2007-08, four authorities in England entered data required by the regulations, but not the full dataset requested on WasteDataFlow.
	This information is available on DEFRA's website at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/wastats/index.htm

Local Authorities: Freedom of Information

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of local authorities provided data for annual returns for the Flycapture survey in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: Local authorities enter data on fly-tipping onto the Flycapture database on a monthly basis. In England the proportion of local authorities which provided fly-tipping data for (a) at least one month and (b) for all 12 months, for the last five financial years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage of local authorities which submitted data to Flycapture 
			  Financial year  (a) For at least  1 month  (b) For all  12 months 
			 2009-10 100.0 100.0 
			 2008-09 100.0 99.8 
			 2007-08 100.0 96.5 
			 2006-07 99.7 87.0 
			 2005-06 99.5 89.2

Members: Correspondence

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to respond to question 24527, tabled on 11 November 2010, on land owned by the Forestry Commission.

James Paice: I replied to the hon. Member on 18 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 920-23W.

Paraguay: Imports

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has made a recent estimate of the quantity of soy imported from Paraguay  (a) directly and  (b) through a third country (i) raw and (ii) incorporated into a product in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: Since my statement to the House on 12 November 2010,  Official Report, columns 589-604, I have been made aware that, according to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, a shipment of 25,000 tonnes of soy beans arrived in the UK from Paraguay in April 2010. This should be seen in the context of total UK imports of 1.2 million tonnes of soy bean meal and 556,000 tonnes of soy beans in the latest period for which figures are available (January to September 2010). There are no recorded imports from Paraguay of food products containing soy extract in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rural Development Programme

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding will be disbursed from the Rural Development Programme for England in the period from 2010 to 2013.

James Paice: The planning assumption for the total spend for all axes of the Rural Development Programme for England between 2010-11 and 2013-14 is around £2.4 billion.

Rural Payments Agency: Manpower

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff are employed in the Rural Payments Agency.

James Paice: As of 31 October 2010 the number of staff employed in the Rural Payments Agency is 2,567.49 full-time equivalents.

Science: Finance

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much her Department plans to spend on scientific research in the next five years;
	(2)  how much her Department spent on scientific research in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not yet determined the details of its research spend over the next five years. However, we intend to maintain the core Department's spend on evidence as a proportion of total programme expenditure to 2014-15.
	Evidence is defined as reliable and accurate information that DEFRA can use to support sound decisions in developing, shaping, and evaluating policy. It includes research, monitoring and surveillance, economic and statistical analysis and modelling, secondary analysis and synthesis, and analysis of stakeholder views.
	The total budget available to commission evidence in each year is planned to be:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2010-11 210 
			 2011-12 199 
			 2012-13 189 
			 2013-14 177 
			 2014-15 167 
		
	
	For comparison, the budget for evidence in 2009-10 was £213 million, of which £125 million was classified as research.
	These figures represent evidence commissioned by core DEFRA in each year from external providers and our three laboratory agencies (the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; the Food and Environment Research Agency and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency). They do not include evidence commissioned out of grant in aid funds by the Environment Agency, Natural England, Forestry Commission or the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
	Core DEFRA's scientific research spend for the last five years is detailed in the following table. The data were taken from the Science Information System, which is used to monitor and record details of DEFRA's research and development projects.
	
		
			   Spending (£ million) 
			 2005-06 139 
			 2006-07 137 
			 2007-08 130 
			 2008-09 128 
			 2009-10 (1)119 
			 (1) The Department's Evidence Investment Strategy published in January 2010 quoted a budget for research in 2009-10 of £125 million. The figure in the table reflects the actual spend as specified in the question.   Note:  These figures represent research commissioned by core DEFRA in each year from external providers and our three laboratory agencies (the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science; the Food and Environment Research Agency and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency).

Sheep: Tagging

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what impact assessment her Department has undertaken of the implementation of electronic identification tagging for sheep.

James Paice: Detailed information about the cost of implementation in England is provided in a regulatory impact assessment on electronic identification (EID) of sheep and goats available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/movements/sheep/documents/ia-sheep100226.pdf

Wood

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on bringing forward legislative proposals to create an offence of possessing, importing and trading in illegally-logged timber in the UK.

James Paice: We will put in place the necessary legislation to implement the provisions of the EU illegal timber (due diligence) regulation in the United Kingdom. This underlines our commitment to eliminating illegal timber from the UK market. The regulation prohibits the first-placing of illegal timber on the EU market, restricting its purchase and sale down the supply chain.

TRANSPORT

A555

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the assessment made by his Department from 2005 to 2010 on the effect of the building of the A6 bypass on road access to Manchester Airport.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not undertaken a standalone assessment of the effect of the building of the proposed South East Manchester Multi Modal Study Relief Road (SEMMMS) nor of the individual parts of that scheme, including the proposed A6 Stockport North-South Bypass, on road access to Manchester Airport.

Aviation: Northern Ireland

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on  (a) an aviation strategy for Northern Ireland and  (b) the devolution of aviation matters to the Northern Ireland Assembly;
	(2)  whether he plans to produce a regional aviation strategy for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State has not had any discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on these matters.
	The Secretary of State for Transport intends to develop a sustainable aviation framework for the UK which supports economic growth, as well as addressing aviation's environmental impacts. The Department for Transport will issue a scoping document in the new year, with a view to publishing a draft policy framework for formal consultation in March 2012.

Bridges: Tolls

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the economic effects of increases in the level of tolls on  (a) the Severn Crossing,  (b) the Dartford Crossing and  (c) other major river crossings.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State has not made any assessment of the economic effects of the toll increases on the Severn Crossings and we have seen no evidence to suggest that the tolls have an economic impact on the Welsh economy. I am aware that the Welsh Assembly Government are undertaking an economic assessment on the impact of the tolls on the Welsh economy which is due to complete next year.
	In respect of the Dartford Crossing, the details of the proposed revised charging regime, including an assessment of its impacts on usage and economic effects, will be set out for public consultation.
	The Department intends to begin the necessary consultation on such proposals around the end of 2010.
	The Department is currently undertaking an economic appraisal study of the impacts of the Humber Bridge tolls on the region. This study is due to be completed later in the year.

British Rail Board (Residuary) Ltd: Assets

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable he has set for the disposal of British Rail Board (Residuary) Ltd assets.

Theresa Villiers: BRB (Residuary) Ltd continues to pursue its agreed strategy of disposing of non-operational assets that have no potential future transport use in such a way and to a timescale to secure best possible value to the taxpayer. As such it is not appropriate to set a specific timetable for the disposal of these assets.
	Many of the assets that BRB (Residuary) Ltd holds carry indefinite statutory responsibilities. On the winding up BRB (Residuary) Ltd these and any other remaining assets will transfer to the direct control of the Department for Transport.
	It is difficult to assess the future supply of UCO biodiesel. WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) estimate that approximately 250,000 tonnes of cooking oil are produced every year in the UK and the Renewable Fuels Agency collect data on the volume of UCO biodiesel supplied under the RTFO. The supply of UCO biodiesel in the future will depend on the competitiveness of UCO suppliers within the market compared to diesel and other sectors, including the animal feed industry and power generation.
	Ministers have had no recent representations from UCO suppliers. However, Department for Transport officials recently met with the UK Sustainable Biodiesel Association who represent many small UCO suppliers.

British Transport Police

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of British Transport Police on its priorities.

Theresa Villiers: Primary responsibility for setting objectives for the British Transport police rests with the British Transport police authority. Department for Transport officials maintain regular contact with both the force and the authority on a range of issues, but Ministers have not sought to use their statutory powers to intervene in the objective-setting process.

British Transport Police: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Constable of British Transport Police on the operations of British Transport Police in Scotland;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive on the work of British Transport Police in Scotland.

Theresa Villiers: Department for Transport Ministers have had no recent discussions specifically about the operation of the British Transport police in Scotland.

Bus Service Operators Grant

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the level of Bus Service Operators Grant in each year of the comprehensive spending review period;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the rate of payment of Bus Service Operators Grant in the first year of the new arrangements for the grant;
	(3)  whether he plans to differentiate the levels of Bus Service Operator Grant according to  (a) fuel consumption and  (b) standard of equipment provided by bus operators;
	(4)  how much funding will be paid from Bus Service Operators Grant to operators of local bus services and coach services in 2010-11.

Norman Baker: We estimate that Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) funding for the current year and each year of the spending review period will be:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2010-11  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15 
			 Local bus services 432 438 357 359 361 
			 Coach services 18 12 0 0 0 
		
	
	We anticipate that the BSOG rate for 2011-12 will be the same as it is now (43.21 pence per litre). In 2012-13, we anticipate that this will be reduced by 20%, as announced in the spending review.
	BSOG for local bus services is paid mainly according to the amount of fuel used. However, in recent years, the following incentives relating to vehicle equipment have been introduced:
	The BSOG rate is increased by 8% for operators with operational ITSO smartcard systems on buses;
	The BSOG rate is increased by 2% for operators with automatic vehicle location (e.g. GPS) systems on buses;
	An additional BSOG payment of 6p per kilometre is paid for operators of low carbon buses.
	As announced in the spending review, we intend to maintain these incentives.

Bus Service Operators Grant

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding from Bus Service Operators Grant was paid to operators in  (a) London,  (b) rural areas,  (c) small towns,  (d) non-metropolitan urban areas and  (e) metropolitan areas with an integrated transport authority in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Norman Baker: We do not keep details of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) split between types of area. We estimate the distribution of BSOG payments to local bus operators in 2009-10 to be as follows:
	
		
			  2009-10  £ million 
			 London 112 
			 English met areas 129 
			 English non-met areas 189 
			 Total 430 
		
	
	We would expect the estimated split for 2010-11 to be similar to 2009-10.

Bus Services: Disability

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made on ensuring that all new buses brought into service  (a) are fully accessible and  (b) include audio and visual information systems.

Norman Baker: The Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) require all buses and coaches both old and new to comply with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (now the Equality Act 2010), from 2015 to 2017 for buses, and from 2020 for coaches. Buses used on local services have been steadily becoming more accessible. In 2009-10 (the latest statistics available), 61% of the bus fleet meets the PSVAR requirements.
	Research has been commissioned to assess the costs and benefits of installing audio visual equipment on buses. The research project has brought together a cross section of stakeholders, including Guide Dogs, Royal National Institute of Blind People and Royal National Institute for Deaf People. We will take account of the results of this work in considering any changes to PSVAR. The project is scheduled to report shortly.

Capita

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts his Department has with Capita; and how much it has paid to Capita under such contracts in 2010-11 to date.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and its seven Executive Agencies has 13 contracts with Capita and a total spend of £11,775,553 in 2010-11 to date.

Channel Tunnel Safety Authority

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to maintain the independence of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority.

Theresa Villiers: The Channel Tunnel Safety Authority is already an independent body. We have no plans to change its current status.

Concessions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in funding for local authorities on the provision of concessionary transport fares.

Norman Baker: The Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed the Government's commitment to protect key benefits for older people, such as free bus travel, in the recent spending review. From April 2011 all funding for the scheme will be provided through Formula Grant which gives local authorities the freedom and flexibility they want in their use of funding. Formula Grant is allocated on the basis that the level provided overall is sufficient to enable local authorities to deliver effective local services, while ensuring that authorities do not set excessive council tax increases.
	The overall amount of Formula Grant funding available for local government was set out in the spending review. The funding available within Formula Grant for concessionary travel takes account of savings that local authorities will be able to make following the recent change to the age of eligibility for the scheme and through reforms to the administrative and reimbursement arrangements of the scheme. These reforms are not designed to impact on the provision of concessionary travel for eligible people.

Crossrail Line

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department plans to publish a detailed timetable for the phased introduction of Crossrail services; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Following the decision to lengthen the delivery timetable for the central tunnel section of the Crossrail scheme, we expect that phased introduction of Crossrail services will commence from 2018.
	The timing for the phased introduction of Crossrail services requires further work in a number of areas before it can be confirmed. This includes the procurement of rolling stock, work on the transfer of services from existing franchises to the future Crossrail services and development of detailed plans on the commissioning of services.
	It remains a priority for Government that the phased introduction of Crossrail services happens in the most efficient possible way. I expect to update the House on this in due course.

Cycling

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what mechanism he intends to monitor the effect of his Department's local transport policy framework and funding allocations on  (a) local authority delivery of walking and cycling initiatives and  (b) levels of walking and cycling.

Norman Baker: The National Travel Survey provides an ongoing measurement of walking and cycling levels in England. Specific initiatives within the Cycling England programme which provide direct funding to local authorities are monitored by collection of relevant data to demonstrate delivery and provide a basis for evaluation.
	The Department for Transport is considering arrangements for measuring the impact of the different types of measures, including walking and cycling, that will be supported by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund over the four years from 2011-12. Details of the evaluation arrangements will be published later in the year as part of guidance on the operation of the new fund.

Cycling England

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultation he undertook before he decided to abolish Cycling England.

Norman Baker: Cycling England was reviewed as part of the coalition Government's commitment to radically increase the transparency and accountability of public services and reinvigorating the public's trust in democracy. The Government's approach was based on the presumption that state activity, if needed at all, should be undertaken by bodies that are democratically accountable at either national or local level.
	As with all the bodies included in the review, three tests were applied:
	Does it perform a technical function?
	Does it require political impartiality?
	Does it need to act independently to establish facts?
	Through this process the decision was taken to bring Cycling England's functions in house.
	We are grateful for the support of Cycling England in the delivery of cycling policy and recognise its achievements since its creation in 2005. However, with the announcement of a broad fund of £560 million for Local Sustainable Travel, rather than a dedicated cycling budget, we feel that Cycling England is not the right way to continue to encourage local authorities and others to stimulate cycling.

Cycling England

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Cycling England in promoting sustainable travel initiatives; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the value for money of the work of Cycling England.

Norman Baker: Cycling England was established in 2005 with a remit to "Get More People Cycling, More Safely, More Often". Over the period 2008-09 to 2010-11, the Department for Transport (DfT) invested around £140 million in programmes to deliver this objective. Cycling England's role was to advise on how best to spend these funds and to oversee the delivery of the projects.
	Analysis of results of the first three years of funding, of which DfT contributed £7.5 million, for the initial six Cycling Demonstration Towns has provided a Benefit Cost Ratio in the range 2.6 to 3.5, and a 27% increase, in cycle trips as shown by automatic cycle counters.
	Current programmes continue to the end of March 2011 and are yet to be evaluated.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Safety

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much in profits from toll receipts has been spent on safety measures at the Dartford Crossing in the last five years.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency does not apply the profit from charge receipts to specific projects. However, the following amounts have been spent directly on Safety Improvement Projects, including fire suppression measures, at Dartford Crossing:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2005-06 2.1 
			 2006-07 0.4 
			 2007-08 2.7 
			 2008-09 2.0 
			 2009-10 0.8 
		
	
	Routine maintenance and operational costs are not included.

Departmental Equality

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to publish equality impact assessments undertaken by his Department as part of the comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: In line with the Government's commitment to fairness, the spending review announced on 20 October has been conducted in a way that protects the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. My Department has undertaken a robust analysis of its spending proposals and the foreseeable effects of these on all protected groups.
	As part of my Department's work in relation to the spending review, I have carefully considered the equalities impacts of particular proposals, as part of fulfilling the Government's commitment to promoting equality for all legally protected groups. I intend to publish the equality impact assessments arising out of the spending review in due course.

Departmental Manpower

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials his Department has appointed on fixed-term contracts since 7 May 2010.

Norman Baker: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Department for Transport Business Unit  Fixed-term contracts appointed (FTC's)  Total full-time equivalent headcount for each  dept /agency as at 30 September 2010 
			 DFT(c) (1)<5 2,033.5 
			 Highways Agency <5 3,778.3 
			 VOSA 0 2,397.3 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 5 1,128.9 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (2)86 5,966.5 
			 Driving Standards Agency 0 2,458.0 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0 147.0 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency 0 277.0 
			 Total DFT(c) and agencies 96 18,186.5 
			 (1)DFT(c)-These appointments were all either exempt from the recruitment freeze or were agreed appointments prior to 19 May 2010. (2)DVLA recruited these FTCs before the recruitment freeze on 19 May, with some starting in June, (honouring job offers made before the freeze) and have recruited no further FTCs since June. The majority of the 86 FTCs were clerical grades working in operational areas such as the contact centre; nine of these have since left.

Departmental Manpower

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the proportion is of  (a) men and  (b) women full-time equivalent staff in each grade or pay band in each bargaining unit in his Department.

Norman Baker: Information for the central Department and its seven Executive Agencies is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Percentage of (a) men and (b) women in each grade/pay band in the Department for Transport 
			DfTc  MCA  VOSA  DVLA 
			  Grade equiv  Pay band  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male 
			 AA PB1 53 47 39 61 46 54 58 42 
			 AO PB2 64 36 42 58 35 65 64 36 
			 EO PB3 44 56 25 75 17 83 62 38 
			 HEO PB4 38 62 24 76 25 75 55 45 
			 SEO PB5 24 76 11 89 23 77 51 49 
			 G7 PB6 33 67 17 83 15 85 45 55 
			 G6 PB7 25 75 6 94 0 100 41 59 
			 SCS SCS 32 68 22 78 0 100 8 92 
		
	
	
		
			DSA  VCA  GCDA  HA 
			  Grade equiv  Pay band  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male  Female  Male 
			 AA PB1 52 48 62 38 0 100 67 33 
			 AO PB2 30 71 49 51 23 77 23 77 
			 EO PB3 39 61 38 62 7 93 55 45 
			 HEO PB4 34 66 2 98 8 92 40 60 
			 SEO PB5 40 60 10 90 0 100 25 75 
			 G7 PB6 46 55 12 88 25 75 21 79 
			 G6 PB7 25 75 0 100 50 50 16 84 
			 SCS SCS 75 25 0 100 0 0 10 90 
			  Key: DfTc-The Department for Transport (Central) MCA-Maritime and Coastguard Agency VOSA-Vehicle and Operator Services Agency DVLA-Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency DSA-Driving Standards Agency VCA-Vehicle Certification Agency GCDA-Government Car and Despatch Agency HA-Highways Agency

Departmental Pay

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether senior civil servants in his Department have received bonuses in the last 12 months.

Norman Baker: Non-consolidated performance payments were awarded to senior civil servants in the Department for Transport in 2010.
	Awards were based on a budget limited, by a collective decision of permanent secretaries, to 5% of SCS base pay; a reduction from the 8.6% of pay recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body and accepted by the previous Government in March 2010.

Departmental Pay

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the highest level of bonus paid to a member of the senior Civil Service in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Norman Baker: The highest level of non-consolidated performance pay awarded to a member of the senior civil service in the Department for Transport and its seven Executive agencies in the last 12 months was £23,680.
	This non-consolidated performance award was made to a senior civil servant employed on a fixed term contract with specific performance pay arrangements.
	The vast majority of senior civil servants in the Department are permanent civil servants with performance pay arrangements determined centrally and not by the Department. For these staff the highest non-consolidated performance payment in the last 12 months was £9,500.

Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the functions carried out by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee will be discharged following its abolition.

Norman Baker: No decision on successor arrangements has yet been taken. We will be taking forward a consultative process on successor arrangements in the near future.

East Coast Railway Line

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable has been set for the bidding process for the East Coast Main Line franchise.

Theresa Villiers: The timetable for the bidding process for the Inter City East Coast franchise has not been determined yet.

Excise Duties: Biofuels

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received from the sustainable biodiesel industry on the likely effects of removal of the 20 pence fuel duty differential for biodiesel produced from used cooking oil;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the contribution of the use of biodiesel produced from cooking oil to meeting targets for renewable energy use.

Norman Baker: Under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), suppliers of fossil fuel for transport are required to ensure that a proportion of the fuel they supply is obtained from renewable sources. In both 2008-09 and 2009-10, the first two years of the scheme, approximately 3% of the biofuel supplied was from recycled waste cooking oil. The supply of UCO is currently encouraged by a 20p duty differential.
	We are currently working to amend the RTFO to fulfil the requirements of the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The RED provides additional support for biofuels from waste, including UCO, by double counting the contribution they make towards national targets.

Ferries: Roll-On Roll-Off

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission research into the stability of roll-on roll-off ferries.

Michael Penning: Research into the damage stability of roll-on roll-off ferries has been commissioned by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency who are also collaborating on research commissioned by the European Commission and leading a group of the International Maritime Organization to review damage stability regulations for roll-on roll-off passenger ships.

Highways Agency

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Highways Agency is taking to ensure greater co-ordination between its offices.

Michael Penning: The Highways Agency delivers a national road service through a network of eight offices, eight control centres and 31 smaller outstations at motorway locations. Co-ordination between the different offices is delivered through a directorate structure which manages the agency business on a national basis.

Large Goods Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what targets his Department has set for the reduction of emissions from heavy goods vehicles.

Norman Baker: The forthcoming Euro VI emissions standard, which will be mandatory for the engines of all lorries, buses and coaches, registered from 1 January 2014, will virtually eliminate emissions of solid particles, which is the air pollutant most closely linked to health problems, from vehicles of these types. This is because we confidently expect the standard to lead to the universal adoption of wall-flow diesel particulate filters on these vehicles in order to meet the very strict limits that the standard sets for emissions of particulate matter. It will also result in a significant reduction in emissions of oxides of nitrogen.
	In addition to setting demanding standards for emissions of air quality pollutants from the engines of heavy vehicles, the Euro VI standard requires, for the first time, the measurement of carbon dioxide emissions during the tests on these engines.

Large Goods Vehicles: Tolls

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the proposed heavy goods vehicle road user charging scheme to be fully operational.

Michael Penning: We intend that a scheme will come into operation in April 2014, as shown in our Business Plan published on 8 November.

Large Goods Vehicles: Tolls

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the annual  (a) cost and  (b) revenue arising from the operation of a heavy goods vehicle road user charging scheme.

Michael Penning: We are considering details of how the scheme will work and until further decisions have been made it is impossible to say how much it will cost or what revenue it will raise.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures are in place to verify the accuracy of declarations for exemption from MOT certificates submitted on V112 forms.

Michael Penning: Post Office or Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency Local Office staff check the details entered on the V112 Declaration prior to issuing a tax disc. A V112 is a declaration form completed by the customer at the point of re-licensing confirming that their vehicle is exempt from requiring an MOT certificate. The form gives the specific circumstances in which a vehicle is deemed to be exempt.

Motorways: Sales

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the revenue likely to accrue to the Exchequer from the sale to the private sector of  (a) the motorway network and  (b) the trunk road network.

Michael Penning: This Government have no plans to privatise either the motorway network or the trunk road network. We have not undertaken any studies of the likely revenues of selling either.

Preston-Manchester Railway Line: Electrification

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for electrification of the railway line between Preston and Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the spending review that electrification between Liverpool, Manchester and Preston will go ahead. We are now in discussions with Network Rail about a delivery timetable and an announcement will be made in due course.

Railway Stations: South East

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which stations operated by Southeastern Railway have received funding for the provision of step-free access from his Department in the last five years; and which stations are due to receive such funding in the next 12 months.

Norman Baker: The Access for All main programme has so far provided step free routes at Herne Hill, Lewisham, Orpington and Staplehurst. Canterbury West is due to be completed in the next few weeks and Blackheath at around the end of this financial year.
	In addition, since 2006 Southeastern Railways have received £885,040 from the Access for All Small Schemes Programme towards a total investment of £2,118,656 at 50 stations to provide a variety of access improvements. This has included schemes to make West Malling, Welling, Crofton Park, Tunbridge Wells, Chatham, Barnehurst and Faversham step free, although staff assistance may still be required to interchange between platforms.

Railways: Construction

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the merits of encouraging the operators of international high speed rail services to include a stop at Stratford International station.

Philip Hammond: Ultimately, the decision as to whether or not to stop at Stratford is a commercial judgment for the operators concerned. However, the Government continue to encourage both Eurostar and Deutsche Bahn to talk to the agencies and businesses that are investing in the development of the area around Stratford International station. We expect the sale of a 30 year concession to operate HS1 to lead to greater competition and a greater diversity of services being offered on the line, to the benefit of passengers.

Railways: Finance

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what preliminary findings he has received from Sir Roy McNulty's review of value for money on the railways.

Theresa Villiers: Sir Roy McNulty shared his emerging findings with the Secretary of State in advance of some of the announcement of the Government's spending review. Sir Roy McNulty will formally publish his interim findings shortly.

Railways: Kent

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review performance of the Kent Integrated Franchise in relation to the objectives set out during the bidding process.

Theresa Villiers: Department for Transport officials monitor Southeastern's performance against the contract on a four-weekly basis. This review includes operational performance and the delivery of committed obligations.
	The Southeastern Franchise Agreement is currently due to end on 31 March 2012. However, if the operator passes a performance-based continuation review, they have the right to extend the franchise for a further two years, to allow the franchise to end on 31 March 2014.
	The review period is due to conclude on 12 December 2010 and the Secretary of State would expect to notify the operator of the outcome early in the new year.

Railways: Theft

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of hours by which rail services have been delayed as a result of cable thefts in the latest period for which figures are available; and whether he has made an estimate of the change in that number in respect of the last five years.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport does not hold train delay data at this level of detail, although ministers are in regular dialogue with Network Rail on issues affecting reliability including cable theft.
	Network Rail is responsible for performance data for the rail industry. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Network Rail's Acting Chief Executive at the following address, to request such information:
	Peter Henderson
	Acting Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG.

Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what future plans he has for the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation.

Norman Baker: The UK's renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) requires fossil fuel suppliers to produce evidence that a specified percentage of their road transport fuels comes from renewable sources. The obligation level increases annually to 2013-14 when it reaches 5% by volume.
	The EU's renewable energy directive (RED) requires member states to source 10% of transport energy from renewable sources by 2020. We are currently considering options for achieving this target in the UK, and will consult shortly on proposals to amend the RTFO to meet the requirements of the RED.

Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport where the rescue co-ordination centres required to be designated under section 2.1.11.2 of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue are located.

Michael Penning: The 19 Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres are located at:
	Aberdeen
	Belfast (Bangor)
	Brixham
	Clyde (Greenock)
	Dover
	Falmouth
	Forth (Crail, Fife)
	Holyhead
	Humber (Bridlington)
	Liverpool (Crosby)
	Milford Haven
	Portland (Weymouth)
	Shetland (Lerwick)
	Solent (Lee on the Solent)
	Stornoway
	Swansea
	Thames (Walton on the Naze)
	Great Yarmouth and
	London.
	The designated Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre is located at RAF Kinloss.

Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the map of the agreed search and rescue regions required by section 2.1.6 of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.

Michael Penning: The UK Search and Rescue Region map can be found on pages 17 to 19 of the 'Search and Rescue Framework for the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland'. This can be found on the Maritime and Coastguard's Agency website at:
	http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/uksar.pdf
	Copies of this document have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what principal types of available search and rescue units were required to be designated under section 2.1.11.4 of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue in 2008.

Michael Penning: The following principal types were required to be designated; boats, aircraft, ground units and supplementary units.
	The following search and rescue units were designated as being available in 2008:
	Boats/vessels-short-range coastal, long-range sea going;
	Aircraft-Islander and Cessna 402, Nimrod, Sea King and S61 helicopters;
	Ground units-coastguard shore search teams controlled by Maritime Rescue co-ordination centres;
	Supplementary units-offshore fire-fighting teams. Medical teams may be available.

Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what principal types of available search and rescue units are required to be designated under section 2.1.11.4 of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.

Michael Penning: The following principal types were required to be designated: boats, aircraft, ground units and supplementary units.
	The following search and rescue units are designated as being available:
	Boats/vessels-short-range coastal, long-range sea going;
	Aircraft-Cessna 402, Sea King, AW139 and S92 helicopters;
	Ground units-coastguard shore search teams controlled by Maritime Rescue co-ordination centres;
	Supplementary units-offshore fire-fighting teams. Medical teams may be available.

Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions the Government has requested assistance from a neighbouring state in accordance with section 3.1 of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue in each of the last five years; and from what search and rescue assets it received assistance.

Michael Penning: The information is not held in the form requested and extracting the information from the search and rescue database could be achieved only at disproportionate costs.
	In practical terms, however, the intent of the International Maritime Organization's search and rescue convention is to encourage and support mutual cooperation between the UK and its neighbours. Joint working and co-ordination can be considered to be part of the normal business of search and rescue activity.

Rescue Services

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to announce his review of the search and rescue programme.

Michael Penning: On 17 June the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced a review of the approval of the search and rescue helicopter project in the context of the wider pressures on public spending. The review is continuing and once it is complete an announcement will be made.

Roads: Safety

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to introduce an annual road safety day.

Michael Penning: Road casualties are a crucial concern throughout the year, but there may be advantage in having an annual road safety day in providing a focus for attention and joint communications activities across groups. Therefore the possibility of an annual road safety day will be considered as part of the work on a future road safety strategy.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential effects on plans for the delivery of new rolling stock of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review.

Theresa Villiers: As set out in the comprehensive spending review statement, an announcement regarding rolling stock will be made in due course.

Shipping

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals for additional measures to ensure that shipping companies enforce passenger manifest requirements.

Michael Penning: The Merchant Shipping (Counting and Registration of Persons on Board Passenger Ships) Regulations 1999, as amended, lay down requirements for owners of UK ships and ships operating from UK ports to have a system for counting everyone on a ship. Ships on longer voyages are required by the same regulations to collect and register information on each person on board, including name, gender and age. The requirements of the regulations are enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as part of its inspection regime. The Government have no plans to bring forward additional measures at this time.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 11W, on M1: speed limits, whether fixed speed cameras will be used to detect offences of speeding over 70 miles per hour.

Michael Penning: Speed enforcement cameras to be installed as part of the controlled motorway system on the M1 motorway between junctions 25 and 28 are not being introduced to enforce the national speed limit.
	When no restrictions are in place, the signals will not show any speed limits, and will therefore indicate that normal motorway regulations and enforcement regimes apply.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 20W, on speed limits: cameras, whether the fixed speed cameras are in operation between M1 junctions 6a to 10.

Michael Penning: The speed enforcement cameras on the M1 between junctions 6a to 10 are not currently in operation.
	Based on the current timescales, they are expected to come into operation during March 2011.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 20W, on speed limits: cameras, whether fixed speed cameras will used to detect offences of speeding over 70 miles per hour.

Michael Penning: Fixed speed enforcement cameras will not be introduced to enforce the national speed limit, they will only enforce the use of mandatory variable speed limits used to manage traffic flows. When no restrictions are in place, the signals will not show any speed limits, and will therefore indicate that normal motorway regulations and enforcement regimes will apply.

Thameslink

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce revised plans for  (a) Thameslink and  (b) the Thameslink through platforms at London Bridge.

Theresa Villiers: As set out in the spending review on the 20 October, the Government are still finalising their position regarding a number of rail projects-including Thameslink. An announcement is expected to be made shortly.

Tintwistle Hollingworth and Mottram Bypass

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he received in favour of a Mottram and Tintwistle bypass prior to the agreement of the Investment in Highways and Local Transport programme.

Norman Baker: The Mottram and Tintwistle bypass scheme was removed from the roads programme in 2009. In addition to representations from my hon. Friend, the Secretary of State received a number of other representations in favour of the scheme ahead of the Secretary of State's announcement to the House on 26 October 2010 and publication of the associated document "Investment in Local Major transport Schemes". Where these are a matter of public record, they are available in the House of Commons Library.

Tomography: Research

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects on health of the use of body scanners.

Philip Hammond: An assessment of comparative ionising radiation doses was prepared by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). The assessment concluded that the effective dose from one scan is equivalent to about one sixth of the dose received, as a result of cosmic radiation from the sun and other sources, during 1.4 minutes flying time at airline cruising height. The HPA concluded that for all groups of passengers security scanners do not constitute any unacceptable risks to health.
	This assessment was published on the Department for Transport website on 1 February 2010.

Transport: Finance

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral statement of 26 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 177-79, on transport (investment), 
	(1)  when he plans to publish the business cases for the major road schemes and local authority major schemes;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the benefit to cost ratio of each  (a) local authority major scheme and  (b) major road scheme.

Norman Baker: holding answer 3 November 2010
	 The decisions my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced in his statement on 26 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 177-79, were fully informed by project business cases, including relevant cost-benefit measures.
	Up to date business case information for Highways Agency major schemes will be published later this year.
	For local authority schemes, the business cases as submitted to the Department for Transport to support previous approval decisions should already be published on local authorities' own websites. However, in order to secure value for money, to ensure our funding goes as far as possible and to maximise the number of projects that can go ahead, we have challenged scheme promoters to review options for cost reductions and increased local-contributions. For those schemes in the supported pool, we will publish updated information once we have made final decisions in January based on best and final bids form scheme promoters. At that point we will also publish the latest information on schemes in the development pool to enable interested parties to provide their views, although final decisions on these schemes will be made by the end of 2011.

Transport: Finance

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which transport funding formerly paid by the Department for Transport to local transport authorities have been transferred to the Department for Communities and Local Government; and what budget was set for each such fund for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11 prior to the Government's in-year spending reductions.

Norman Baker: As part of the coalition Government's commitment to decentralising power and financial autonomy to local Government and communities, the Department for Transport will radically simplify its funding for 2011-12, moving from 26 different grant streams to just four.
	The following table sets out funding for all grant streams in 2009-10, 2010-11 prior to in-year savings, and 2010-11 after in-year savings.
	
		
			 2010-11 (£ million) 
			  Grant  Funding Type  2009-10 (£ million)  Pre- r eduction  Post- r eduction 
			 Integrated transport block Capital 589 602 451 
			 Yorkshire and Humber integrated transport block transfer Capital 47 47 23 
			 Major projects Capital 577 555 494 
			 Highways maintenance(1) Capital 768 848 836 
			 Cumbria emergency funding Capital 5 TBC TBC 
			 Road safety capital grant Capital 17 17 0 
			 Green bus fund Capital 5 11 11 
			 Road safety partnership grant Capital and Resource 4 4 2 
			 Smart ticketing Capital and Resource 10 10 10 
			 Urban congestion fund Capital and Resource 20 20 12 
			 Nexus (Tyne and Wear Metro) Capital and Resource 50 59 59 
			 Cycle towns Capital and Resource 26 19 19 
			 Cycling - finding new solutions Capital and Resource 4 2 2 
			 Concessionary fares special grant Resource 217 223 223 
			 Pot holes Resource - 84 84 
			 Winter emergency repairs Capital 11 - - 
			 Kickstart Resource 4 5 0 
			 Other bus grants Resource - 1 1 
			 Cycle training Resource 9 6 6 
			 Cities fund (pump priming) Resource 5 2 0 
			 Local sustainable travel Resource 1 2 0 
			 Research and studies Resource - 6 2 
			 Road safety revenue grant (area based grant) Resource 78 77 57 
			 Revenue de-trunking (area based grant) Resource 50 52 52 
			 Rural bus subsidy grant (area based grant) Resource 59 60 60 
			 School travel advisers (area based grant) Resource 3 3 3 
			 Total - 2,559 2,715 2,407 
			 (1) Includes maintenance block, capital de-trunking, primary route network and exceptional maintenance funding 
		
	
	As set out in the Department for Communities and Local Government's (DCLG) recent consultation on Formula Grant, all future concessionary travel funding will be provided through formula grant.
	All other revenue grant streams, excluding specific rail grants, will be ended from April 2011, and after a 28% reduction (as set out in Department for Transport's spending review press notice) the remaining funding will be split between a Local Sustainable Transport Fund and Formula Grant. Formula grant is unhypothecated and it is not possible to identify amounts within formula grant for any particular purpose.

Transport: Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology his Department uses to compare the level of investment in  (a) roads and  (b) railways.

Norman Baker: holding answer 16 November 2010
	 Investment in  (a) roads and  (b) railways is reported in Transport Statistics Great Britain 2009, p24, table 1.14, with accompanying notes and definitions on page 11. This is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2009edition/
	The next edition of this publication is due to be published on 25 November 2010.
	The Department's business plan sets out that we will reform the way decisions are made on which transport projects to prioritise. We will announce the scope of this review shortly.

Trust Ports

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the public ownership of each trust port.

Michael Penning: The National Infrastructure Plan, published on 25 October 2010, stated that the Government would encourage trust ports to bring forward proposals for modernisation and privatisation. The Secretary of State is currently considering a proposed scheme from Dover Harbour Board for voluntary privatisation. We have endorsed proposals for pursuing greater commercialisation and enhancements to efficiency, from the other major trust ports (Harwich, Tyne, Poole, Shoreham, London and Milford Haven) subject to our further agreement to their respective implementation plans.

UK Territorial Waters

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a national action plan for responding to major pollution incidents within UK territorial waters.

Michael Penning: The National Contingency Plan for marine pollution from shipping and offshore installations is published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and is available at:
	http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcqa07-home/emergencyresponse/mcga-pollutionresponse/mcga-dops_cp_environmental-counter-pollution/mcga2007-ncp.htm

WALES

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps her Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

David Jones: The Wales Office has not undertaken any exercise to establish what services could be provided by the Post Office network.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the monetary value was of contracts between her Department and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05.

David Jones: The Wales Office has no contracts with Royal Mail; we do however pay £500 annually to have our mail collected from our London office.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on press cuttings services in each of the last 12 months.

David Jones: In each of the last 12 months the Wales Office spent £977.50 per month for November and December 2009 and £998.75 for each month thereafter on welsh press cuttings.

Economic Growth

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to her oral evidence to the Welsh Affairs Committee of 20 July 2010, Q15, on her priorities for Wales, what research she has commissioned on regional growth in the UK.

David Jones: The Secretary of State wrote to the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) as chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee on 22 July 2010 regarding the Oxford Economics report cited by the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Owen Smith).
	The Government are committed to ensuring that there is strong and sustainable growth in Wales and, along with many other independent experts views the economic outlook for Wales positively.

Job Creation

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of the number of jobs that will be created in Wales in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

David Jones: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the response I gave on 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 657W, to the hon. Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane).
	The Office for Budget Responsibility has made employment predictions for the UK based on macro-economic data and no figures are available at sub-national level.

Passport Office: Newport (Gwent)

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what meetings she has had with Ministers in the Home Department since the announcement of the formal consultation on the future of Newport Passport Office;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with Ministers in the Home Department on the future of Newport Passport Office since her announcement of the retention of a counter service in Newport; and what the outcomes were of those discussions.

Cheryl Gillan: I discussed this issue with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 8 October when the consultation was announced and subsequently spoke to my hon. Friend the Immigration Minister on 12, 18 and 21 October.
	I have continued to raise this issue with Cabinet colleagues and remain committed to preserving as many jobs as possible in the Newport Passport Office.

Welsh Grand Committee

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether she plans to propose a meeting of the Welsh Grand Committee to be held in Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: Future meetings of the Welsh Grand Committee-and their location-are currently being considered.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

UK Youth Parliament

Philip Davies: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2010,  Official Report, column 222W, on the UK Youth Parliament, what the cost to the public purse was of hosting the UK Youth Parliament in 2009.

Stuart Bell: The cost in 2009 was £17,469.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Compensation

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) war widows and  (b) other dependents of deceased service personnel are in receipt of payments from the Army Compensation Scheme.

Andrew Robathan: As at 30 June 2010, 160 spouses and 205 children of deceased personnel from across the services were in receipt of Survivors' Guaranteed Income payments under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).
	This and other data about the AFCS can be found in the quarterly Defence Analytical and Statistical Agency AFCS official statistics. These are produced quarterly, and copies are available in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from  (a) the Forces Pension Society,  (b) other organisations involved in military welfare matters and  (c) others requesting that payments to war widows and other dependents of deceased service personnel should be protected from the effects of public spending reductions; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has received letters from officers of the Forces Pension Society, War Widows Association of Great Britain and a member of the public, relating to the effects on the pensions of dependants of deceased service personnel, of the decision that all future increases to public sector pensions and benefits should be based on the consumer prices index (CPI) rather than the retail prices index (RPI).

Armed Forces: Pensions

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) soldiers,  (b) naval personnel and  (c) service personnel injured while deployed on active service in Iraq and Afghanistan who will be affected by his recent policy decisions relating to armed forces pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Government have announced that all public sector pensions and benefits will increase based on the consumer prices index rather than the retail prices index. Therefore all personnel in receipt of such pensions and bonuses will be affected.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion of 9 September 2010,  Official Report, column 623W, on AWE Aldermaston: fires, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Atomic Weapons Establishment emergency plan for dealing with incidents in the AWE Aldermaston conventional explosives area.

Peter Luff: Yes; copies of the document will be placed in the Library of the House. However, parts of this document are classified and will require redaction prior to its placement.

Departmental Assets

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has set annual targets for the disposal of assets owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: When the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) materiel or equipment becomes surplus to requirements, it is disposed of through the Disposals Services Authority who are tasked with obtaining the best possible return for the taxpayer.
	There are no annual targets for disposal of MOD assets but the Disposals Services Authority has been set performance objectives for receipts, service delivery, avoidance of landfill, customer satisfaction and budgets.

Departmental Land

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has set targets for the sale of land from defence estates; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Strategic Defence and Security Review marked the beginning of a process that will transform our armed forces to meet the challenges of the future. That includes decisions on the defence estate, which will need to reflect what makes the most sense for our armed forces. As part of the detailed and comprehensive work which will lead to these decisions, the Ministry of Defence will endeavour to maximise the receipts from the sale of elements of the defence estate which are no longer required.

Nuclear Submarines

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the design life, expressed in effective full-power years, is of the PWR2  (a) reactor pressure vessel and  (b) nuclear steam raising plant.

Peter Luff: holding answer 3 November 2010
	The PWR2 Nuclear Steam Raising Plant is fitted to Vanguard Class and Astute Class submarines. The design life of the PWR2, which includes the PWR2 Reactor Pressure Vessel, is expressed in calendar years rather than effective full-power years.
	The PWR2 Nuclear Steam Raising Plant design life, including the PWR2 Reactor Pressure Vessel, is 25 years.
	The Trident Value for Money Review considered the feasibility of extending the life of the Vanguard Class submarines beyond 25 years and analysis continues in support of the planned life extension.

RAF Kinloss

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department has conducted a feasibility study of the suitability of RAF Kinloss as a base for service personnel and their families stationed in Germany;
	(2)  whether he has estimated the cost of converting RAF Kinloss into a base for service personnel and their families that are stationed in Germany.

Andrew Robathan: Detailed work is currently being undertaken to identify precisely how the re-basing will be implemented and this work will take into account costs and accommodation issues. It is too early to say where personnel returning from Germany will be based. The possibilities could include parts of the existing defence estate which will be vacated as a result of other Strategic Defence and Security Review decisions, but this will be considered as we work through the details.

Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account is taken of the length of time served on operational tours by territorial army soldiers in deciding the award of volunteer reserves service medals.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 November 2010,  Official Report, column 556W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa: HIV Infection

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent progress has been made on his Department's programmes to reduce the incidence of HIV and AIDS among women in Africa; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) programmes support a combination of prevention activities-encouraging behaviour change, counselling and testing and addressing the societal and structural drivers of the epidemic-including issues of gender and gender based violence. There has been a 60% overall reduction in new infections in sub-Saharan Africa since 2002, and the latest national survey in Zambia shows falling incidence rates in young women. Data on other countries may be published around World Aids day. Despite these positive trends, there are still many new infections in women. We recognise the need for ongoing investment and to look for more effective prevention approaches.

Conflict Prevention: Finance

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the budget for the Conflict Prevention Pool will be allocated as overseas development assistance in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13,  (d) 2013-14 and  (e) 2014-15.

Andrew Mitchell: The allocation of funds to the Conflict Pool from the settlement on conflict resources for the spending review period from 2011-12 to 2014-15 is under consideration and an announcement will be made in the coming weeks.
	The settlement on conflict resources covers the United Kingdom's legally binding commitments on assessed peacekeeping costs (the Peacekeeping Budget) as well as discretionary expenditure on conflict prevention, stabilisation and peacekeeping (the Conflict Pool). Assessed peacekeeping costs have first call on available funds; this affects the size of the Conflict Pool from year to year.
	The total settlement for conflict resources for each year broken down into ODA and non-ODA components is laid out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Baseline 2010-11  Y1: 2011-12  Y2: 2012-13  Y3: 2013-14  Y4: 2014-15 
			 ODA 97 130 150 175 200 
			 Non-ODA 506 500 494 489 483 
			 Total 603 630 644 664 683

Departmental Equality

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for consultation on his Department's gender equality action plan.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has regular and ongoing dialogue on our Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP), for example with the BOND network of UK non-government organisations working on international development.

Departmental Equality

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to publish his Department's gender equality action plan; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP), originally intended to cover the period 2007-10, has been extended to March 2011.
	DFID's Business Plan 2011-15 sets out our current objectives to: increase the number of girls completing secondary and primary education; promote the economic empowerment of women and girls through jobs and access to financial services; pilot new approaches to eliminating violence against women and girls; and improve maternal health and access to family planning.
	The Business Plan is available on the No. 10 website and in the Library of the House.

Departmental Equality

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on his Department's gender equality action plan.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State has not received any formal written representations on the Department for International Development's Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP).

Departmental Manpower

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects to announce the timetable for his review of the number of staff of his Department posted to international and multilateral organisations.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently undertaking a review of our spending through international organisations. The purpose of the Multilateral Aid Review (MAR) is to ensure that the UK gets maximum value for money from its contributions to multilateral organisations. The review will include an assessment of the relevance of each organisation or fund to the UK's development objectives and their ability to deliver results on the ground. It will not look at staffing or secondments specifically, but it will make recommendations for how DFID should engage with the multilaterals in future to increase value for money. The MAR will conclude in February 2011. Future secondment policy will reflect the MAR's findings.

Euromapping 2010

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2010,  Official Report, column 26W, on Euromapping 2010, how many officials of each grade attended from his Department; at what cost; whether any official spoke at the launch; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: Two officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) attended the Euromapping launch event at the House of Commons on 10 November, at no cost. These officials are at grades A2 (G7) and Deputy Director (G5). The Head of DFID's Human Development Department spoke at the event.

International Assistance: Agriculture

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effects of the outcomes of the G20 Summit in Seoul on levels of international assistance for agricultural development and food security.

Andrew Mitchell: At the G20 summit, leaders endorsed the 'Seoul Development Consensus on Shared Growth' and agreed to a multi-year action plan to tackle the obstacles to growth in poor countries.
	No new funding commitments on agriculture and food security were made in Seoul. However, in 2009, at the G8 L'Aquila summit, 26 countries pledged a total of $22 billion to combat hunger in developing countries.
	At the G8 summit in June 2010, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the UK's commitment to spend more than £1 billion on agriculture and food security over the next three years. I have also launched a new research programme designed to identify specific and cost-effective solutions to chronic malnutrition, at the Millennium Development Goal summit in September 2010.

PRIME MINISTER

Climate Change

William Bain: To ask the Prime Minister if he will establish a Cabinet committee or sub-committee on climate change, the environment and policy on renewable energy.

David Cameron: Climate change, the environment and policy on renewable energy are discussed by the relevant Cabinet Committees. We have also set up an informal ministerial working group to help meet our target of reducing carbon emissions from central Government by 10% within a year.

Departmental Internet

Martin Horwood: To ask the Prime Minister when he expects the 10 Downing street e-petition system to become operational; and if he will make a statement.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 665W.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will commission a study of the global warming potential of  (a) black carbon emitted in the UK and  (b) black carbon emitted by biomass plants in the UK.

Gregory Barker: The Department has no current plans to commission a study specifically on the global warming potential of black carbon emitted in the UK or from UK biomass plant but the need for this is under review. However, the Department is currently funding as part of the Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme a number of important studies on the climate impacts of black carbon more generally.

Climate Change: Conferences

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his objectives are for the UN Climate Change Conference 2010 in Cancun, Mexico.

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to working towards an ambitious global deal to tackle climate change. At Cancun, we want to see substantive progress made on a politically balanced package of decisions that help re-establish momentum towards that goal.
	Our aim is that this package should include decisions on anchoring developed and developing country mitigation pledges into the formal UNFCCC process, agreement on the measurement, reporting and verification arrangements for emissions from both developed and developing countries, arrangements for the future governance of climate finance (including establishing the Green Fund), measures to reduce emissions from deforestation, as well as arrangements on market mechanisms, the technology mechanism and adaptation framework.

Climate Change: Conferences

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his objectives are for international agreement on targets for the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions at the UN Climate Change Conference 2010 in Cancun, Mexico.

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to working towards an ambitious global deal to tackle climate change. At Cancun, we want to see substantive progress made on a politically balanced package of decisions that help re-establish momentum towards that goal.
	Our aim is that this package should include decisions on anchoring developed and developing country mitigation pledges into the formal UNFCCC process, agreement on the measurement, reporting and verification arrangements for emissions from both developed and developing countries, arrangements for the future governance of climate finance (including establishing the Green Fund), measures to reduce emissions from deforestation, as well as arrangements on market mechanisms, the technology mechanism and adaptation framework.

Climate Change: Developing Countries

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with his  (a) EU,  (b) US and  (c) Chinese counterparts on climate financing; and what funding he plans to commit to the Global Climate Fund at the Cancun summit.

Gregory Barker: We have regular discussions with counterparts in the EU, US and China as part of our ongoing dialogue on climate finance. We support setting up the Green Climate Fund and are working towards a decision in Cancun to achieve this as part of a balanced package of outcomes.
	Through the spending review we committed to provide £2.9 billion for international climate finance over four years-a significant scaling-up of resources. However, the Green Climate Fund has not yet been agreed nor designed. Therefore, it is not in a position to take funding from donors. Once the fund is operational we hope that it will provide a suitable vehicle for distributing climate finance effectively.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible spent on press cuttings services in each of the last 12 months.

Gregory Barker: The expenditure on press cuttings by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and its NDPBs is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Department of Energy and Climate Change  Nuclear Decommissioning Authority  The Committee on Climate Change( 1)  Civil Nuclear Police Authority  Coal Authority 
			  2009  
			 October - - 1,656.52 - - 
			 November 6,552.56 558.90 1,700.17 821.03 819.55 
			 December 10,047.69 558.90 2,737.52 2,847.00 724.75 
			  2010  
			 January 5,544.97 558.90 819.43 1,496.00 622.60 
			 February 5,151.30 558.90 749.50 1,781.00 610.45 
			 March 8,063.60 558.90 761.87 1,886.00 923.35 
			 April 7,242.89 558.90 433.22 1,678.00 647.95 
			 May 8,583.30 558.90 499.54 1,898.00 537.65 
			 June 7,847.25 558.90 426.06 2,519.00 642.95 
			 July 8,601.12 558.90 489.95 2,118.00 773.75 
			 August 5,037.30 558.90 366.35 1,894.00 774.40 
			 September (2)3,268.15 558.90 597.71 1,861.00 598.00 
			 October (2)3,836.93 558.90 - 1,941.00 747.45 
			 (1 )The October 2010 data for the Committee on Climate Change is not available yet.(  2) As the most recent two months indicate, DECC has substantially reduced the scope of, and therefore made substantial savings on, its press cuttings service.

Energy: Billing

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the likely effects of the Renewables Obligation on domestic energy bills in  (a) Blackley and Broughton constituency,  (b) Manchester,  (c) the North West and  (d) England in each of the next three years.

Charles Hendry: Ofgem who administer the renewables obligation have calculated the annual cost of the RO for all UK customers in 2009-10 to be around £12 per domestic electricity customer. This information is published on the Ofgem website:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/FactSheets/Documents1/updatedhouseholdbills09.pdf
	Their previous estimate for 2008-09 was around £10 per customer set to rise to around £20 a year by 2015:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/FactSheets/Documents1/energy%20prices%20Jan08.pdf

Energy: Prices

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with Ofgem on its overarching standards of conduct in respect of the requirement not to supply products that are unnecessarily complex or confusing; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers meet with Ofgem on a Tegular basis to discuss market and consumer issues.
	It is for Ofgem to monitor compliance with its standards of conduct. To meet its principal duty, to protect the interests of consumers, Ofgem actively monitors the activities of licence holders, including compliance with their standards of conduct.
	As part of this process Ofgem will review whether changes to the gas and electricity supply licences introduced as part of the Energy Supply Probe have proved sufficient to help consumers understand and benefit from the range of tariffs available to them, and consider what further steps may be needed.
	Ofgem has said that if suppliers do not meet the obligations they will consider more formal action.

Energy: Prices

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure that energy companies provide more transparent and accurate data about the connection between their wholesale and retail prices; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: To meet its principal duty, to protect the interests of consumers, Ofgem actively monitors the energy market and the activities of licence holders. Since 2009 Ofgem have produced a quarterly report on the link between wholesale and retail energy prices. The latest Ofgem quarterly report is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/MARKETS/RETMKTS/ENSUPPRO/Documents1/Electricity%20and%20Gas%20Supply %20Market%20Report%20September%202010.pdf

EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Cement

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions his Department has had with representatives of cement producers who do not manufacture cement in the UK on the proposed hybrid clinker benchmark for Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; in which countries each such manufacturer operates; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The European Commission's proposal for the free allocation rules for Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) was sent to member states on 22 October, including the proposed hybrid clinker benchmark. There have been no meetings with cement producers who do not manufacture in the UK about this proposed hybrid approach.
	Officials have met Holcim, who do not manufacture cement in the UK, on two occasions in January and February 2010. Within the European Union, I understand that Holcim operate in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Romania and Spain. These meetings were about the broad issue of cement benchmarking, rather than the currently proposed hybrid approach.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme: Cement

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that the cement industry's ability to compete in the EU is not adversely affected by implementation of the EU Commission's proposals for a hybrid clinker benchmark for Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Gregory Barker: The European Commission's proposal for the free allocation rules for Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) was sent to member states on 22 October. My officials are working closely with colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to analyse the proposal in detail in order to assess its impact un UK industry.
	My officials have met with representatives of the UK cement sector in order to discuss the proposal to ensure that we have a full understanding of the implications of the proposed approach. This included discussions on approaches that could recognise the high levels of substitution that the UK cement industry achieve. Officials will also be having discussions with the European Commission on this issue and further discussions with industry before any conclusions are reached.

Fuel Poverty: Tyne and Wear

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 923-24W, on fuel poverty: North East, what estimate was made of the number and proportion of households in fuel poverty in the former Tyne Bridge constituency.

Gregory Barker: In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 7,200 (19%) fuel poor households in the Tyne Bridge constituency.

Green Investment Bank

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to place a levy on energy bills as a way of providing funding for a Green Investment Bank.

Gregory Barker: There are no plans to place a levy on consumers' energy bills to fund the Green Investment Bank. The spending review announced that the Government intend to fund the Green Investment Bank with £1 billion from departmental budgets and significant additional proceeds from the sale of Government-owned assets.

Heat Pumps

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the proportion of installed heat pumps which reach the 60 degree centigrade requirement applicable under the Health and Safety Executive Approved code of practice on the control of legionella bacteria in water systems.

Gregory Barker: All heat pumps that are designed to provide domestic hot water should have the ability to raise the temperature of the water to 60 degrees centigrade. Some refrigerant cycles enable hot water to be produced by the heat pump only. Other refrigerant cycles provide lower temperature hot water. These systems periodically raise the temperature of the hot water tank for a pre-determined time to kill legionella bacteria; using a combination of the refrigerant cycle and direct electric heating or just direct electric heating. The efficiency of a heat pump decreases as the required water temperature increases.

Nuclear and Renewable Energy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the potential for  (a) main contractors and  (b) supply chain companies in the UK to benefit from the expansion of (i) offshore wind, (ii) nuclear, (iii) tidal and wave and (iv) biomass energy.

Charles Hendry: The Government are committed to maximising the economic opportunities that renewable and nuclear energy can bring to the UK.
	 Offshore wind
	The UK is the largest deployer of offshore wind and currently the largest market. The Carbon Trust estimates that up to 70,000 jobs could be created in offshore wind by 2020, made up of 50,000 direct jobs, and 20,000 secondary jobs (e.g. legal services, finance). They also estimate 220,000 jobs in offshore wind by 2050 - 135,000 direct and 85,000 secondary jobs. Following the Government's announcement that it will make up to £60 million available to support the establishment of manufacturing infrastructure at port sites a number of major turbine manufacturers have indicated their intention to set up UK manufacturing facilities.
	 Wave and Tidal
	The wave and tidal sector is currently at a pre commercial stage but we are committed to harnessing the benefits which a successful marine renewables sector can bring to the UK opportunities for the development of the supply chain was one of the topics covered in the 'Marine Energy Action Plan' published by DECC in March 2010 and will form one element of the Government's new UK Marine Energy Programme.
	In addition, a number of studies have been carried out, for example the Carbon Trust's 'Focus For Success' report estimates that the wave sector alone could create around 16,000 direct jobs by 2040, with 25% supporting UK exports. We have also been working with industry representatives on modelling and mapping the marine energy supply chain. A good example of this is the Regen SW 'Marine Energy and Offshore Wind Company Directory' which maps the supply chain in the region and can be seen at.
	http://www.regensw.co.uk/projects/offshore-renewables/offshore-supply-chain
	 Biomass energy
	A number of studies have been conducted to consider the economic potential in the bioenergy sector. For example, a 2007 study to quantify employment from biomass power plants showed that power only bioenergy systems typically create 1.27 man years of employment per GWh electricity produced. A recent study for the Forestry Commission in June 2010 found that the woodfuel sector alone could contribute £1 billion to the UK economy by 2020 and support 15,300 jobs.
	 Nuclear
	The various private sector consortia that are gearing up for new build have stated intent to deliver up to 16 GWe by 2025 and UK companies have the potential to benefit from the majority of the work generated by this investment. Research by the Nuclear Industry Association reports that UK companies have the capability to supply 70% of the total requirements of new nuclear plant in the UK and that with some investment this could rise to 80%.
	A report by the Cogent Sector Skills Council found that thousands of training opportunities, new apprenticeships and new jobs will be needed in the construction, manufacturing, operation and maintenance of anticipated stations for a programme of this scale and that up to 30,000 new jobs could be created. More jobs could be created as the result of larger programmes and the opportunity for companies involved in new nuclear build is not limited to the UK market with many more countries looking closely at introducing or expanding nuclear power programmes as a way of meeting rapidly increasing demands for energy while addressing the challenge of climate change.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of  (a) international capacity constraints in the supply of pressure vessels for new nuclear energy facilities and  (b) the potential effects of such constraints on the timetable for the construction of new nuclear power stations.

Charles Hendry: We speak regularly with the reactor vendors and they do not believe this will cause a delay to new nuclear plant. Ultra heavy forgings for pressure vessels need to be ordered a long time in advance and vendors already have slots booked with existing suppliers to ensure that when they are building reactors around the world the necessary elements are available.

Offshore Drilling: Safety

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2010,  Official Report, column 408, on offshore oil drilling, what assessment he has made of the steps the Government took in response to the Macondo incident; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: We have already taken actions to further strengthen our regime and we are satisfied that it is one of the most robust in the world.
	We continue to consider new information as it becomes available and determine if it has any implications for our regime.
	Once the final report is available from the US we intend to conduct a review at that time.

Ofgem

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on Ofgem's overarching standards of conduct in respect of the requirement not to supply products that are unnecessary, complex or confusing; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers meet with Ofgem on a regular basis to discuss market and consumer issues.
	It is for Ofgem to monitor compliance with its standards of conduct. To meet its principal duty, to protect the interests of consumers, Ofgem actively monitors the activities of licence holders, including compliance with their standards of conduct.
	As part of this process Ofgem will review whether changes to the gas and electricity supply licences introduced as part of the Energy Supply Probe have proved sufficient to help consumers understand and benefit from the range of tariffs available to them, and consider what further steps may be needed.
	Ofgem has said that if suppliers do not meet the obligations they will consider more formal action.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Citizens Advice Bureaux: Finance

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has for future financial support for the Citizens Advice Bureau  (a) direct from his Department and  (b) through local authorities.

Bob Neill: Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) are independent organisations and registered charities. Each Citizens Advice Bureau is a separate registered charity, operating independently, which may be funded by the local authority in which it is located.
	Local authorities are democratically elected and independent from central Government. They are responsible for their own finances and for developing local solutions that meet the needs of the community. It is for each local authority when assessing their local priorities to decide whether and how to support their local CAB. Information on the amount of funding provided by authorities to CABs is not collected centrally.
	Citizens Advice (CitA) is the national umbrella organisation for the Citizens Advice Service in England and Wales. It receives core funding from central Government through the provision of annual grant in aid (£18.943 million in 2010-11) from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills on behalf of all Government Departments and the Welsh Assembly Government.
	The Government values highly the work of the Citizens Advice Service, their independence from Government and the trust in which they are held by the public. In recognising this and their strong brand, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable) made a statement on 14 October outlining proposals to streamline the consumer landscape including the transfer of the functions of Consumer Focus, and the transfer of the Consumer Direct helpline, currently run by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the national bodies for the Citizens Advice Service in England and Wales and in Scotland.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to my Department's press notice of 14 October 2010 on how councils should recognise the valuable role of the voluntary sector.

Council Tax

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage increase in council tax has been in  (a) Wellingborough and  (b) England and Wales since 1997.

Bob Neill: The average band D council tax in Wellingborough has risen from £20 per dwelling in 1997-98 to £148 in 2010-11, an increase of 640%. In the same period the area band D council tax in Wellingborough (ie the council tax for Wellingborough plus the precepts for Northamptonshire county council and Northamptonshire police) has risen from £585 to £1,370, an increase of 134%.
	The average band D council tax in England has risen from £688 per dwelling in 1997-98 to £1,439 in 2010-11, an increase of 109%.
	These details are available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website, under "Related Downloads", at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/
	Council tax levels in Wales are a matter for the Wales Assembly Government.

Fire Services: Expenditure

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) capital and  (b) revenue cost was of regional fire control centres (i) in Northamptonshire and (ii) nationally in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: Northamptonshire, along with Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland, is in the east midlands region with the control centre located at Castle Donington.
	For the current running costs of all the control centres, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Richard Graham) on 18 October 2010,  Official Report, column 505W.
	The cost of construction and installation of the control centres was borne by the developers as the buildings were procured through a private developer scheme.

Fire Services: Greater London

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority on the placing of 28 London fire engines with AssetCo; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: I have had no discussions with the chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority regarding the deployment of the 27 engines used to provide emergency fire cover during the recent strikes.

Fire Services: Manpower

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time fire fighters were employed  (a) in Northamptonshire and  (b) nationally in each of the last 15 years.

Bob Neill: The number of full-time firefighters employed in Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Services and England in each of the last 15 years is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Whole - time firefighters (full-time equivalent) in England and Northamptonshire FRS from 1996 to 2010 
			  Date  England  Northamptonshire 
			 1 January 1996 32,543 285 
			 1 January 1997 32,294 287 
			 1 January 1998 31,906 280 
			 31 March 1999 31,918 293 
			 31 March 2000 31,466 296 
			 31 March 2001 31,623 296 
			 ?1 March 2002 31,761 292 
			 31 March 2003 31,699 307 
			 31 March 2004 31,826 311 
			 31 March 2005 31,097 298 
			 31 March 2006 30,596 288 
			 31 March 2007 30,558 287 
			 31 March 2008 30,580 276 
			 31 March 2009 30,088 276 
			 31 March 2010 29,735 269

Fire Services: Standards

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the merits of reinstating national standards for the fire service; and if he will estimate the likely cost to the public purse of implementing that standard.

Bob Neill: Response target-setting is a matter for individual fire and rescue authorities under Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP), according to local requirements and circumstances, and is not something that central Government should direct or determine. The Government have no plans to reintroduce national standards for fire and rescue service response times. Decisions made by local politicians and practitioners according to local circumstances will be more effective than blanket requirements across the country.
	For those reasons, no estimate of the financial implications of reinstating national standards has been made by central Government.

Holocaust Memorial Day

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on arrangements to mark Holocaust Memorial Day in 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Holocaust Memorial Day will take place on 27 January 2011 across the United Kingdom, including a national event in central London. The theme for 2011 will be Untold Stories. Millions of stories of individuals and communities have been lost through the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides. Events will focus on inspiring participants to tell and listen to stories in our own communities today.
	Almost 800 events were held to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2010, and it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of events for 2011. These are listed on the Holocaust Memorial Day website on a daily basis. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, which is supported by my Department, has received thousands of requests for free materials to help mark the Day, including from teachers, librarians, local authorities, museums, trade unions, arts organisations, youth groups and prisons.

Homelessness

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authority must assume a duty to house a household deemed to be in priority need and unintentionally homeless in circumstances in which such a household has not established a previous local connection in excess of six months.

Grant Shapps: Under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996), where a local authority accepts an applicant as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless, and in priority need and refers the case to another authority because it considers the conditions for referral are met, the authority seeking to make the referral has a duty to secure accommodation until the question of referral is resolved. It is for individual authorities to decide whether applicants have a local connection with their district. Authorities may have regard to non-statutory guidelines agreed by the local authority associations which suggest that, among other things, a working definition of "normal residence" should be residence for at least six months in the area during the previous 12 months or for not less than three years during the previous five-year period. If it is agreed that the applicant does not have a local connection with the authority making the referral and does have one with another authority in Great Britain (and other relevant conditions for referral are met), the other authority has a duty to secure accommodation under section 193(2) of the 1996 Act.

Legal Opinion

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on legal advice since his appointment.

Bob Neill: holding answer 2 November 2010
	According to departmental records for the period between 12 May and 31 October 2010 the Department has spent £1,054,362 on external legal services. A significant proportion of these costs relate to legal issues inherited from the previous Administration.
	Our purchase ledger records show a spend on comparable legal fees of £4.8 million in 2009-10 and £4.3 million in 2008-09.

Local Government Finance

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure the retention of allocations of equivalent funding to local authorities following the removal of ring-fencing from local authority grants announced in the comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: holding answer 19 November 2010
	We will announce our proposals for the distribution of formula grant to the House in due course.

Local Government Finance

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the potential cost savings which may arise from local authorities, police authorities and NHS organisations working together more closely; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The Department has not directly commissioned research on the potential cost savings which may arise from local authorities, police authorities and NHS organisations working together more closely, but has sought to encourage local public sector organisations and representative bodies to develop projects which could identify savings that could be achieved across agencies. These initiatives include:
	The Department, along with HM Treasury and other departments, worked with a number of local authorities and their partners on 'Total Place' during 2009-10. These areas looked at new ways of working locally; redesigning services to meet local people's needs. A report was made of their findings and is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/total_place_report.pdf
	We are encouraging councils to share departments, offices and back office services as outlined in the Secretary of State's speech on town hall waste and duplication of 13 October 2010.
	The Government announced the first phase of Community Budgets in the spending review which will be implemented from April 2011. 16 places will focus on tackling families with complex needs using locally-designed, cross-organisation, solutions. We will evaluate the first phase and intend to roll out Community Budgets from April 2013.
	The local government sector is evaluating the opportunities offered by such approaches. The Improvement and Development Agency has published reports on this subject in 2008 and 2009 at:
	www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=14198370
	In addition, the Local Government Group are exploring these issues though the 'Place Based Productivity Programme'.

Local Government Finance

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to announce his proposals for the distribution of formula grant; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 11 November 2010,  Official Report, column 459W.

Local Government: Surveys

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many separate requests for data from local authorities his Department made in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: The Department does not hold a record of all the data requests it has made to local authorities in recent years, and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Government are currently reviewing the data requirements placed on local authorities with the aim of reducing them and making them transparent. This will result in a single comprehensive list of all the data that local government is expected to provide to central Government, including that required by DCLG, from April 2011.
	However, as an example, research for the Total Place pilots found that across Leicestershire's councils, PCT, fire, police and probation services, there were 90 full-time staff, at an annual cost of £3.7 million, having to collect and process data for central Government, reporting on more than 3,000 individual data items. They were also subjected to 83 different inspections every year, costing £2.2 million in dedicated staff costs and a further £1.4 million in other staff time (Deloitte/Leicestershire county council, "Measuring the Workload: Public Sector Performance Reporting and Inspection Regimes in Leicestershire, October 2009").

Mayors: Referendums

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many referendums on the introduction of a directly elected mayor there have been in district councils in England with a population of under 100,000 people since 2005;
	(2)  what the cost to the public purse has been of  (a) referendums and  (b) elections for directly elected mayors in district councils in England where the population is below 100,000 people since 2005;
	(3)  what the average cost of a referendum on the introduction of a directly elected mayor in a district council in England where the population is below 100,000 people has been since 2005;
	(4)  on how many occasions a referendum has resulted in the introduction of a directly elected mayor in district councils in England with a population under 100,000 has been since 2005.

Bob Neill: Since 2005, there has been one referendum on the introduction of a directly elected mayor in a district council-Fenland district council with a population of below 100,000 people; this did not result in the introduction of a directly elected mayor.
	My Department does not hold the information requested on costs.

Mayors: Referendums

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which cities he is considering as potential locations for mayoral referendums.

Bob Neill: We will address the issues relating to the implementation of the coalition agreement commitment to create directly elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities, subject to confirmatory referendums and full scrutiny by elected councillors when the Localism Bill is presented to Parliament.

Renewable Energy: Planning Permission

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2010,  Official Report, column 1031W, on renewable energy: planning permission, what timetable he has set for  (a) making key decisions and  (b) bringing forward proposals to amend the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 for small-scale wind turbines and air source heat pumps.

Greg Clark: The Government are committed to introducing permitted development rights. We intend to make a statement to the House and introduce the necessary legislative changes in due course once a small number of technical issues are concluded.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the average change in social housing rents in  (a) North Tyneside,  (b) the North East and  (c) England as a result of implementation of measures contained in the Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: Our proposals will involve increasing the affordable housing stock, increasing opportunity and quality of life for those currently on housing waiting lists. The new 'Affordable Rent' product will be set at up to 80% of local market rents with tenants in homes where the new affordable rent is charged being eligible to apply for housing benefit. Existing social tenants will retain their existing rents and tenure arrangements. We will publish more details shortly.

Travellers: Cheshire

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department or its predecessors have provided any funding from the public purse for Cheshire Gypsy and Travellers Voice since 1997.

Andrew Stunell: The Department for Communities and Local Government's current finance system only holds records back to 1 April 2002 and to date there have been no payments made to Cheshire Gypsy and Travellers Voice or it predecessors.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2010,  Official Report, column 818W, on wind power: planning permission, 
	(1)  where the 99 proposed onshore wind farms will be located;
	(2)  for what reasons planning applications do not take wind speed into account; and what the criteria are for assessing planning applications.

Bob Neill: The number of onshore wind farms referred to in my answer of 3 November 2010,  Official Report, column 818W, was drawn from the Renewable Energy Planning Database hosted by the Department for Energy and Climate Change. This database includes interactive maps showing the location of wind farm developments. These can be filtered to show the locations of wind farm developments which have been granted planning approval but have not yet become operational. The current list has been extracted and deposited in the Library of the House.
	The energy justification for why a proposed wind farm should be sited in a particular location involves considerations of technical and commercial feasibility (including meteorological and economic viability) which are for the developer concerned. In reaching their decision on a planning application for a wind farm, local planning authorities will consider whether the proposed development is acceptable in terms of their development plan and other considerations which can include national planning policy and relevant planning issues raised by local communities.

Working Neighbourhoods Fund

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of the withdrawal of the Working Neighbourhood Fund.

Bob Neill: We are not withdrawing the Working Neighbourhoods Fund. It was always envisaged that it would end in March 2011.
	In line with our equalities duties, an equality impact assessment into the completion of the Working Neighbourhoods Fund has been carried out and will be published in due course.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is also to introduce the Work Programme which will provide an integrated package of support providing personalised help for people who find themselves out of work.

Youth Justice: Greater London

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department has allocated for youth crime provision in London in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what estimate he made of the amount of such funding allocated in respect of young people aged  (a) 12 years or younger,  (b) between 13 and 17 years and  (c) between 18 and 24 years in 2009-10.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not provide any direct funding for youth crime provision. In 2008-09 the Department provided £300,000 to the Improvement and Development Agency to support initial stages of pilots in four local authority areas (including Westminster) testing a range of approaches in responding to youth crime.

WORK AND PENSIONS

State Pension Age

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provisions are being made for women aged between 54 and 59 adversely affected by the acceleration in the increase in state pension age.

Steve Webb: No women aged 58 or over will be affected by our proposals.
	Government have brought forward the increase in the state pension age to 66 to ensure the system is fair and sustainable in the long term.
	We are taking steps to ensure those who want to continue to work are able to do so by, for example, phasing out the default retirement age.

IT Provision: Benefits System

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that appropriate IT systems are in place to support his Department's proposed reform of the benefits system.

Chris Grayling: DWP are currently in the planning stages for the delivery of IT to support universal credit.
	The approach is based upon significant re-use of a number of IT components and systems which either currently exist within DWP, or are being developed through our existing change programmes.
	HMRC plans are currently on track for the delivery of their IT systems to support the provision of earnings information to DWP for universal credit and plan to consult on the next stages shortly.

Child Maintenance

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase parental responsibility for child maintenance.

Maria Miller: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Maidstone and the Weald (Mrs Grant) earlier in the session.

Carer's Allowance

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in  (a) the UK,  (b) Scotland,  (c) East Ayrshire and  (d) Kilmarnock and Loudon constituency who would become eligible for carers' allowance if the eligibility criteria were changed to enable those in full-time study or training for more than 20 hours a week to claim the allowance.

Maria Miller: No such estimate has been made.
	Carer's allowance provides a measure of financial support for people who forgo the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide care for a severely disabled person.
	The educational maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants, provides financial support for full-time students, including carers. In consequence, people engaged in full-time study are generally precluded from entitlement to income-replacement and income-related social security benefits.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to which local newspapers his Department had a subscription between June 2007 and May 2010; on what date each such subscription started; and what the cost to the public purse was of such subscriptions.

Chris Grayling: Information on local newspapers to which the Department had a subscription provided via the Library and Information Service between June 2007 and May 2010 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Title  Start of subscription  Cost (£)( 1) 
			 Evening Standard - 7,623.00 
			 Birmingham Post - 293.70 
			 Croydon Advertiser - 40.50 
			 Daily Record (Scotland) - 391.15 
			 Llanelli Star - 63.96 
			 Scotland on Sunday - 120.10 
			 Scotsman - 603.40 
			 Sheffield Evening Star February 2007 936.00 
			 Sheffield Telegraph February 2007 132.60 
			 South London Press - 168.00 
			 South Wales Evening Post - 381.60 
			 Sunday Post (Scotland) - 144.00 
			 Swansea Herald - 35.36 
			 Western Mail - 146.99 
			 Wrexham Evening Leader - 865.80 
			 Yorkshire Post - 148.82 
			 Total: - 12,094.98 
			 (1) June 2007 to May 2010

Departmental Public Expenditure

Phillip Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of his Department's funding streams are allocated on a regional basis.

Chris Grayling: In general, funding is allocated at a national level; however, the European Social Fund is specifically allocated on a regional basis.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what new regulations sponsored by his Department have been introduced through  (a) primary legislation and  (b) statutory instrument in the last six months.

Chris Grayling: The information is as follows:
	 (a) No regulations have been made by primary legislation in the last six months.
	 (b) The following regulations have been made by statutory instrument in the last six months:
	The Social Security (Disability Living Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1651)
	The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Amendment (No 3) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1676)
	The Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 2) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1739)
	The Social Security (Exemption from Claiming Retirement Pension) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1794)
	The Social Security (Housing Costs) (Standard Interest Rate) Amendment Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1811)
	The Transfer of State Pensions and Benefits (Amendment) Regulations (S.I. 2010/1825)
	The Welfare Reform Act 2007 (Commencement No. 12) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1905) (C. 100)
	The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) (Revocation) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1906)
	The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1907)
	The State Pension Credit Pilot Scheme Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1925)
	The Pensions Regulator (Contribution Notices) (Sum Specified following Transfer) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1929)
	The Occupational Pension Schemes (Levies) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1930)
	The Vaccine Damage Payments (Specified Disease) (Revocation and Savings) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1988)
	The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendment) (No 4) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2126)
	The Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2128)
	The Equality Act 2010 (Sex Equality Rule) (Exceptions) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2132)
	The Equality Act (Age Exceptions for Pension Schemes) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2133)
	The Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2161)
	The Equality Act (Age Exceptions for Pension Schemes) (Amendment) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2285)
	The Welfare Reform Act 2009 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2377) (C. 116)
	The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2429)
	The Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) (Existing Awards) (No.2) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2430
	The Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2442)
	The Social Security (Contribution Conditions for Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2446)
	The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2449)
	The Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) Amendment Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2481)
	The Income-related Benefits (Subsidy to Authorities) (Temporary Accommodation) Amendment Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2509)
	The Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 3) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2556)
	Social Fund Cold Weather Payments (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations (S.I. 2010/2591)
	The Up-rating of Basic Pension etc. (Designated Tax Year) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2650)
	The Occupational, Personal and Stakeholder Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2659).

Disability Living Allowance

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the causes of the increase in take-up of disability living allowance over the last 10 years.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the rate of take-up and amount of unclaimed disability living allowance are not available. This is because eligibility is not established until entitlement is tested at the point of claim and because assessment of eligibility is more complex than for other benefits involving a detailed judgment of personal care and mobility needs.

Disability Living Allowance: Care Homes

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultation his Department undertook with disability groups prior to the announcement of proposed reductions in the levels of the mobility component of the disability living allowance for people living in care homes.

Maria Miller: Local authorities contracts with care homes will cover services to meet a resident's assessed needs. These will cover activities of daily living which may include providing access to doctors, dentists and local services such as libraries and banks. Local authorities should also take into account the resident's emotional and social needs as part of the assessment.
	As part of the spending review all organisations are given the opportunity to contribute to the priorities of the spending review. Across Government, consultation on specific spending review measures was not undertaken. All measures are subject to the parliamentary process, and we are committed to the involvement of charities, third sector organisations and other disability organisations in the ongoing development of policy in these areas.

Fuel Poverty

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Energy Rebate Scheme; and what plans he has for his Department's contribution to the Government's fuel poverty strategy.

Steve Webb: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has lead responsibility for policies to address fuel poverty. My Department has worked closely with them and energy suppliers to deliver the Energy Rebate Scheme, which has been funded by energy suppliers.
	The Energy Rebate Scheme has demonstrated that data sharing can be a valuable tool in identifying and helping customers vulnerable to fuel poverty. It has successfully delivered an £80 rebate this year on electricity bills to over 200,000 of the poorest pensioners. We will continue to work with DECC and energy suppliers to develop the Government's proposals to require energy suppliers to provide support with energy costs to vulnerable consumers. Data sharing is expected to form part of those proposals, on which DECC intend to consult shortly.
	Winter fuel payments provide reassurance to older people that they can turn their heating up in winter. In winter 2009-10 we made over 12.6 million winter fuel payments. This winter we will continue to pay the winter fuel payment at the higher rate of £250 and £400 depending on age and circumstances.
	Cold weather payments provide additional support to the most vulnerable in periods of exceptionally cold weather. The Government have announced that the temporary increase in cold weather payment of £25 for each week of cold weather will be made permanent.

Incapacity Benefit: Haemophilia

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future assessment of haemophiliacs affected by contaminated blood in respect of their eligibility to continue to receive incapacity benefit.

Chris Grayling: Over a three-year period beginning in spring 2011, all claimants of incapacity benefit will be reassessed using the work capability assessment to determine whether they are entitled to employment and support allowance. While we are committed to supporting those who cannot work because of a health condition, we currently have no plans to automatically exclude customers who are haemophiliacs affected by contaminated blood from re-assessment.
	It is important to recognise that any health condition will affect people in different ways, manifest by a wide spectrum of symptoms and functional effects. That is why we assess each case individually to determine if someone is entitled to benefit and whether it is appropriate to help them prepare for a return to work.
	This will not always involve a face-to-face assessment-where possible, decision makers may use the paper-based evidence available. However, in order to assess people fairly and accurately it is often necessary to assess them face-to-face, in order to look at how their condition affects them.

Income Support: Mortgages

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has made an estimate of the likely effect on the number of home repossessions of the implementation of the proposed reduction in the level of support for mortgage interest paid to recipients of income support, jobseeker's allowance and pension credit.

Chris Grayling: The standard interest rate used to calculate support for mortgage interest was fixed at 6.08% by the last Administration. That rate was too generous and resulted in the vast majority of people getting more than their eligible mortgage interest liability, which was unfair to taxpayers.
	The plans of the previous Government would have meant that the standard interest rate would have reverted to the formula of Bank of England base rate plus 1.58% from January 2011, which at present would produce a rate of 2.08%.
	The Chancellor announced in the June 2010 Budget that the standard interest rate would be based on the Bank of England's published monthly average mortgage interest rate. Legislation to introduce this change came into effect from 1 October 2010 and the standard interest rate is currently 3.63%.
	The Department conducted thorough analysis on the likely impacts of this change, and we have included as much information as possible in the equality impact assessment published on the Department's website.
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/support-for-mortgage-interest.pdf
	The Department is in the process of developing a model to estimate the impact of changes to support for mortgage interest on the number of repossessions. However any estimates will always be limited since detailed case-by-case information, such as arrears at the start of a claim, is not collected by the Department. The Department will consider whether the results can be used publicly once this is work is complete.
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders has told the Department that it expects lenders to continue to exercise forbearance where it is fair to do so for the borrower, and the borrower has a chance of paying off any arrears in the future. The Council of Mortgage Lenders thinks that where arrears levels increase for some borrowers as a result of the change in the standard interest rate this does not translate into an immediate possession risk.
	At the comprehensive spending review 2010, the Chancellor announced funding for a one year extension to the temporary package of support for mortgage interest changes that had been due to expire in January 2011. This extension maintains the waiting period for new working age claimants at 13 weeks and the limit on eligible mortgage capital at £200,000, and provides additional support to homeowners facing difficulties.

Occupational Pensions

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the introduction of compulsory workplace pensions on the level of private sector job creation from 2012.

Steve Webb: While no analysis has been conducted on job creation directly, chapter two of the Workplace Pension Reform Regulations Impact Assessment published in January 2010:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/772/pdfs/uksiem_20100772_en.pdf
	sets out our estimate of the impact of workplace pension reforms on employment.
	This impact assessment builds on responses to the Department for Work and Pensions' employer attitudes surveys to estimate that, as a result of the reforms, private and not-for-profit employment will fall by between 10,000 and 80,000. The lower number is based on the number of employers expecting to reduce or restructure their work force. The higher number is based on the responses of a very small proportion of employers who reported that their most likely response would be to close their firms. This is consistent with departmental estimates of the impact on employment levels, based on the elasticity of labour demand to changes in non-labour costs.
	Employers who remain in business but do not reduce or restructure their work force report that they expect to meet administrative and contribution costs associated with the reforms by reducing employee remuneration, increasing prices or reducing profits.

Poverty: Redcar

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to reduce pensioner poverty in  (a) Redcar constituency and  (b) the North East.

Steve Webb: We have restored the earnings link for the basic state pension with a triple guarantee so that from April 2011 the basic state pension will increase by the highest of earnings, prices or 2.5%. Someone retiring today on a full basic state pension will receive £15,000 more over their retirement than they would have done under the old prices link. This commitment will benefit both existing and future pensioners by providing a more generous state pension giving a solid financial foundation from the state which is essential as part of the pensions system.
	The Government's intention is that the majority of pension credit recipients will benefit from the full cash value of this increase.
	We want to ensure that older people receive the help that they are entitled to. We are conducting a research study into the feasibility of using existing data to help to improve the take-up of pension credit.
	We will help prevent people from falling into poverty in later life by simplifying the rules and regulations relating to pensions to help reinvigorate occupational pensions. We will encourage companies to offer high-quality pensions to all employees and will work with businesses and the industry to support auto enrolment.

Public Expenditure

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements he plans to make to monitor the effects of the outcomes of the Comprehensive Spending Review on the human rights of  (a) disabled people,  (b) children,  (c) the unemployed and  (d) carers in respect of benefits administered by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: Policy changes are monitored through equality impact assessments and in line with the Department's commitment on transparency will be published when detailed policies and plans are finalised.

Social Security Benefits Agency: Pensions

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what entitlement Benefits Agency staff have to a non-contributory pension.

Steve Webb: Benefits Agency merged with the Employment Service in 2001 and the merged organisation was rebranded as Jobcentre Plus in April 2002. Jobcentre Plus is now an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Staff in the Department for Work and Pensions only have access to one non-contributory pension scheme, the Partnership pension account. No employee contribution is required, but if the employee prefers to contribute the employer will match employee contributions up to 3% of pay, as well as paying an employer contribution based on employee age.
	New staff are automatically enrolled in the Nuvos pension scheme. The Nuvos pension scheme is a defined benefit pension scheme and has an employee contribution rate of 3.5% of pensionable earnings.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the number of individuals in households in which at least one member works for at least 16 hours per week who will  (a) have their income reduced and  (b) fall below the equivalised poverty threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income as a result of adopting the consumer price index for uprating of those benefits for which his Department is responsible; and what the average amount is by which the income of affected households will be reduced as a result of that measure.

Chris Grayling: This change is very difficult to model in 2011-12 due to the previous Administration's policy to claw back 1.5% for benefits uprated by RPI in April 2011.
	The rates of inflation to be used to uprate benefits in April 2011, were set in September 2010, and were 4.6% for RPI and 3.1 % for CPI.
	Therefore, due to the 1.5% clawback on RPI, the outcome for uprating benefits would be the same for RPI as for CPI.
	Further, the difference between Rossi and CPI in September 2010 was 1.4%.
	Modelling the effect of all this on total benefit income for households with a mix of benefits previously uprated by either RPI and Rossi is complex, depending on the composition of those households and the complicated interactions of the various measures that have been announced at the Emergency Budget, June 2010 and since.
	Given the small amounts involved, the estimated impact on poverty is not expected to be significant.

State Retirement Pensions

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the payment of basic state pensions to higher rate taxpayers.

Steve Webb: We have not received any representations on the payment of the basic state pension to higher rate taxpayers.

State Retirement Pensions: Dartford

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners resident in Dartford constituency are in receipt of  (a) the basic state pension and  (b) pension credit.

Steve Webb: The document "Caseloads for selected benefits by 2010 Parliamentary Constituencies, February 2010" is available in the Library or via the following link and includes figures for pension credit and state pension. The state pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only.
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/stats_summary/benefit_new_parlc_table_feb10.xls

Unemployment Benefits

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which estimate he has made of the number of recipients of out-of-work benefits who actively choose to receive such benefits; and what mechanism his Department uses to identify such persons.

Chris Grayling: The benefits system provides practical help and financial support for people who are unemployed and looking for work. It also provides people with additional income when their earnings are low, if they are bringing up children, care for someone, are ill or have a disability.
	To qualify for a particular benefit an individual must meet the conditions that the Government specifies. For example, the conditions for receiving jobseeker's allowance are that an individual must be available for, and actively seeking, work. The entitlement conditions for receipt of benefit are set out in the relevant social security regulations for the benefit(s) concerned.

Welfare State: Reform

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the contents of the proposed Welfare Reform White Paper were disclosed to press outlets prior to any announcement to hon. Members.

Chris Grayling: Ministers announced the content of the Welfare Reform White Paper to hon. Members in the Chamber before disclosing the full details to the media.

Welfare to Work

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evidence he is gathering on the ability of private and third sector providers to administer welfare-to-work programmes for the proposed Work programme.

Chris Grayling: The Department is currently assessing tenders for the Framework for Employment Related Services against five principal qualification criteria:
	supply chain management;
	implementation;
	stakeholder engagement;
	contract performance; and
	delivery challenges.
	Bidders will be evaluated both on their demonstration of how they will meet the requirements of the framework and their demonstration of past achievements in delivering against these criteria, either for the Department or other contracting organisations.
	Once the Work programme goes live we will establish a tough performance management regime to ensure providers deliver to the required standards.

Work Capability Assessment: Autism

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training health care professionals carrying out work capability assessments receive on autism; and whether such training forms part of their continuing professional development.

Chris Grayling: All health care professionals working for Atos Healthcare who carry out assessments for employment and support allowance are issued with evidence-based protocols on mental health conditions, including information on Autistic Spectrum Disorders, as part of their induction training.
	In addition, all health care professionals are required to engage in a programme of continuing medical education. Atos, in conjunction with DWP, have developed a number of training modules in Autistic Spectrum Disorders to support this programme. These include a "learning set" on ADHD and Asperger Syndrome for employed health care professionals, a distance learning module with accompanying DVD on Asperger Syndrome for sessional doctors, and a presentation on Autism at a medical conference attended by all employed health care professionals in 2008. Atos have also developed and issued a further distance learning module for sessional doctors called "Life with Autism-seeing the individual" this year (2010).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of persons subject to an anti-social behaviour order ceased the antisocial behaviour after the  (a) first,  (b) second and  (c) third interventions under such an order in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Theresa May: Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice do not identify the circumstances that led to the issuing of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) or whether behaviour has ceased. After an ASBO has been issued, the only information that is centrally collected is where a breach of an ASBO was proven in court to have occurred.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in  (a) North Tyneside,  (b) the North East and  (c) England are subject to an antisocial behaviour order.

James Brokenshire: The latest available data on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued, cover the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of ASBOs issued are collated at Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level, rather than county area level. North Tyneside is in the Northumbria CJS area.
	The number of ASBOs issued at all courts in the Northumbria Criminal Justice System (CJS) area between 1 April 1999 and 31 December 2008 is 463. The corresponding figures for the north-east Government office region (GOR) and England are 957 and 16,091 respectively. These figures include ASBOs made on application which became available from 1 April 1999 and ASBOs made following conviction for a relevant criminal offence, which became available for offences committed on or after 2 December 2002.
	ASBOs can be of a fixed duration (for a minimum of two years) or made until further order. Furthermore, courts have the power to vary ASBOs, including their durations and the details of any such variations are not centrally collected by the Ministry of Justice. It is therefore not possible to determine from centrally collected data how many ASBOs are in force at a particular point in time.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects her Department to complete its review of antisocial behaviour orders.

James Brokenshire: We are reviewing the tools and powers that are available to police forces and other agencies to deal with antisocial behaviour including the antisocial behaviour order. The review will ensure that in future, the police and their partners have an effective toolkit that is quick, practical and easy to use.
	We will be consulting on the findings of the review from January 2011, as set out in the Home Office business plan.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Rossendale and Darwen

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were  (a) made and  (b) breached in Rossendale and Darwen constituency in the latest year for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: Data collected centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued and breached is collated at criminal justice system (CJS) area level, rather than constituency area level. Rossendale and Darwen is in the Lancashire CJS area.
	The latest figures cover the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2008. These figures show that in 2008, 53 ASBOs were issued in the Lancashire CJS area and 54 ASBOs issued in Lancashire were proved in court to have been breached for the first time.
	An ASBO can be issued in one CJS area and breached in another. ASBOs may also be breached more than once, and in more than one year. As a result, while the latter figure represents instances when an ASBO was breached for the first time in 2008, some of these will be breaches of ASBOs issued in previous years.

Arrests: Drugs

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for drug-related offences occurred in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Sussex and  (c) Brighton and Hove in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009.

James Brokenshire: Arrests data are collected at police force level only and no data are available for Brighton and Hove. Data for Sussex police and England and Wales are shown in the table. These data cover arrests only for offences which are classed under "drug offences". Drugs may have been involved in other arrests but it is not possible to separately identify these.
	The data provided in response are within the public domain and published annually in chapter 1 of the 'Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Police Powers and Procedures', copies of which are available online and the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Persons arrested for drug offences, 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			  Number 
			   Sussex police  England and Wales 
			 2004-05 1,550 84,800 
			 2005-06 1,948 88,353 
			 2006-07 1,853 88,393 
			 2007-08 2,306 104,532 
			 2008-09 2,247 115,341

Arrests: Stop and Search

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many arrests were made following section 60 stop and searches in each  (a) police authority in England and Wales and  (b) local authority in London in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such arrests was of a person from a (i) white, (ii) black, (iii) Asian and (iv) other minority ethnic group;
	(2)  how many stop and searches were carried out under section 60 powers in each  (a) police authority in England and Wales and  (b) local authority in London in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what proportion of all section 60 stop and searches in each  (a) police authority in England and Wales and (b) local authority in London was of people from (i) white, (ii) black, (iii) Asian and (iv) other minority ethnic group in each of the last five years.

Nick Herbert: The information requested on stops and searches for each of the last five years (most recent data) are provided in the tables placed in the House Library.
	Figures on ethnicity of those stopped and searched use self-defined ethnicity for 2006-07 onwards. Figures on this basis for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are incomplete and therefore figures have been provided on ethnic appearance instead, which means that the categories do not match directly. Any comparisons before and after 2006-07 should therefore be made with caution.

Asylum: Finance

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2010,  Official Report, column 546W, on asylum: finance, if she will obtain and place in the Library a copy of the guidance issued by Sodexo on the operation of the Section 4 payment card.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is not in possession of the guidance issued to retailers on the operation of the section 4 payment card. Sodexo have discussed with each individual retailer the technical specification of the card, as well as their legislative and social responsibilities. The outcome of these discussions were incorporated into the legally binding agreements between Sodexo and the retailers. These agreements are considered commercially confidential and as such are not disclosable.

Asylum: Public Finance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the likely effects on the  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) quality of services provided to asylum seekers of the proposed amendment to the asylum seekers dispersal programme which would relocate asylum seekers away from Glasgow; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what provision will be made for asylum seekers in Glasgow whose applications have been fully determined under contractual arrangements with new housing and social care service providers.

Damian Green: holding answer 19 November 2010
	 The termination of the contract with Glasgow city council will lead to savings for the public purse as Glasgow city council are the most expensive housing provider outside London. There are no plans to move asylum seekers away from Glasgow and the alternative providers operating within Glasgow are contractually bound to provide the same quality of services as Glasgow city council. The Secretary of State has no plans to make a statement.

Community Development: Finance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the future level of funding to be made available under her Department's Community Fund in the comprehensive spending review period.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 16 November 2010
	While we do now know the overall spending review settlement for the Department, it will take time for us to determine what the overall settlement means for individual programmes, including the Community Fund. We will notify grant recipients on the future of these funding streams as soon as we are able.

Crime

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has for implementation of the cross-Government hate crime action plan; and whether there will be changes to the plan's timetable.

James Brokenshire: The Government are committed to tackling hate crime and we are currently implementing the programme for government commitment on the improved collection of hate crime data. The Hate Crime Action Plan was the previous Administration's response to tackling hate crime and included 70 actions for Government and local areas. A number of these have been completed and, while work on some of the others will continue, we think that a new approach to tackling hate crime, that reduces burdens while empowering local areas, is needed. Work on this is under way and we will make an announcement in due course.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value was of contracts between her Department and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department's spend with Royal Mail since 2004-05 is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend (£) 
			 2004-05 76,371 
			 2005-06 93,077 
			 2006-07 134,772 
			 2007-08 301,870 
			 2008-09 43,581 
			 2009-10 41,184 
			 2010-11 24,381 
			 Grand total 715,236 
			  Note: FY 2010-11 is YTD figure as of October 2010 
		
	
	Due to changes to the Home Department's accounting system, spend with Royal Mail for the period 1997-98 is not readily available.
	There is no contract spend for the Post Office Ltd and no current demand for the services provided by them.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what services provided by her Department were the subject of a contract with Post Office Ltd in 1997-98 and have subsequently become the subject of a contract with another supplier; and what the monetary value was of each such contract in  (a) 1997-98 and  (b) the latest period for which figures are available in each case.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department has no service contract spend for the Post Office Ltd or any which has become the subject of a contract with another supplier. Information relating to the Post Office Ltd for the period 1997-98 is not readily available due to changes to the Home Department's accounting system.
	There is no current demand for the services offered by Post Office Ltd.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which services of her Department have been the subject of a contract awarded in a tender process in which Post Office Ltd submitted a bid since 1997-98.

Nick Herbert: The Home Department has no service contracts that have been the subject of a tender process in which Post Office Ltd have submitted a bid, and for which spend records are available. This is due to changes to the Home Department's accounting system. There is no current demand for the services offered by Post Office Ltd.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

Nick Herbert: Mail services are reviewed to ensure that adequate contracts are in place to meet the needs of the business while driving down costs to the public purse. The Home Department already use the services of the Post Office network through various Royal Mail services, including collection, on site franking machines, and delivery. Home Office procurement also conducts regular meetings with Royal Mail to ensure both business and supplier needs are met, while continuing to improve services and drive down the cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will undertake an equalities impact assessment of any proposed budgetary reductions in her Department, with particular reference to their effect on injured police officers on restricted duties.

Theresa May: An initial equality screening of the Home Office comprehensive spending review 2010 was published on 20 October. The spending review settlement is the start of a longer process of detailed budget allocations, and equality impact assessments will be conducted as part of that process as appropriate. This will involve looking at the impact that funding changes may have on a range of diverse groups, and will pick up any potential impact on police officers on restricted duties.

Dorset Police: Finance

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was allocated to Dorset Police Service in 2009-10; and how much funding will be allocated in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Nick Herbert: The information requested for years 2009-10 and 2010-11 is set out in the following table.
	Detail on 2011-12 funding allocations for individual forces, including Dorset, will be announced in early December when the provisional police settlements will be placed before the House of Commons.
	
		
			  Dorset Government Grants  £ million 
			 2009-10(1) 74.9 
			 2010-11(2,)( )(3) 75.7 
			 (1,)( )(2 )Government Grants comprises: Home Office Police Grant; Department for Communities and Local Government Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates; Crime Fighting Fund; Basic Command Unit Fund; Neighbourhood Policing Fund; Rule two Grant; Capital Grant. Excludes Counter Terrorism Funding. (3)( )Takes account of in-year reductions in July 2010.

Driving Offences

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to increase the level of  (a) detection and  (b) enforcement of motoring offences committed by individuals without UK licences.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 18 November 2010
	 Detection and enforcement of offences are operational matters for the police. Apart from driving without a licence being an offence in itself, those who commit the offence may also be guilty of other motoring offences and more likely to be involved in road traffic collisions. The police fully recognise the seriousness of such behaviour and its consequences and enforce the relevant offences vigorously. To help in this enforcement they are able at any time to access at the roadside accurate and up to date driver licensing information (including a photograph where appropriate). There are also good IT links between the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the courts to assist in effective prosecution of offenders. Where an offence carries licence penalty points, there are provisions for endorsement to be made on the driver record, rather than the licence itself, for future reference.
	Where the person without a licence is a foreign national or otherwise does not have a satisfactory UK address there are provisions to require an immediate roadside deposit against payment of any fixed penalty or court-imposed fine for specified offences.

Drugs: Misuse

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she sought submissions from the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs during her Department's 2010 drugs strategy consultation.

James Brokenshire: Yes. The Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published its response to the Drug Strategy Consultation (2010) on its website. It is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/acmd/
	We are continuing to work closely with the ACMD to reduce the harms caused by drugs.

Entry Clearances: Business

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what limits she plans to set on the numbers of entrepreneur visas available each year;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of administering the proposed entrepreneur visa.

Damian Green: We will announce full details of our proposals for the entrepreneur category in the coming weeks.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bogus language schools have been closed in Bournemouth West constituency in each year since 1997.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency's Register of Tier 4 Sponsors currently contains 2,287 education providers that are licensed to bring overseas students to the UK. Since the introduction of the register, 55 sponsors have had their licences revoked, one of these is a language school located in Bournemouth.

Global Peace and Unity Conference

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any speakers wishing to enter the UK to speak at the Global Peace and Unity Conference on 23-24 October 2010 were prevented from doing so by her Department.

Damian Green: It is not Home Office policy to comment on individual cases.

Immigrants: Detention

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who were  (a) detained for immigration purposes and then deported and  (b) detained for immigration purposes and then released were detained for more than (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) one year and (iv) two years.

Damian Green: holding answer 19 November 2010
	 The information requested is recorded in the following table:
	
		
			  Individuals leaving the immigration detention estate( 1, 2 ) between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2010 
			   Removed( 3)  Released( 4)  Total 
			 Under 3 months 7,265 3,980 11,245 
			 Over 3 months, but under 6 months 577 323 900 
			 Over 6 months, but under 1 year 239 167 406 
			 Over 1 year, but under 2 years 46 62 108 
			 Over 2 years 15 21 36 
			 All 8,142 4,553 12,695 
			 (1) These figures are based on internal management information. Figures used are subject to change and may under or over record due to data cleansing and data matching exercises that take place after extracts were previously taken. They have not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols, and may not agree with previously published information. (2) These numbers do not refer to those individuals who would have been held under immigration powers within the prison estate, nor does the length of detention indicated include any time previously spent in immigration detention within the prison estate prior to transfer to the UK Border Agency detention estate. (3) Those individuals listed as "removed" includes persons who were deported or removed by the UK Border Agency, and those who departed voluntarily from the United Kingdom. (4) Those individuals listed as "released" includes persons who were granted immigration bail, received a form of leave, were released unconditionally, were removed to custodial detention, or held under the Mental Health Act in appropriate institutions. 
		
	
	From this data it is clear that, in approximately 90% of cases, those individuals held under Immigration Act powers within the immigration detention estate, were either removed or released within three months of entering the estate.

Khat

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 October,  Official Report, columns 70-71W, on khat, when she expects to have sufficient data to provide a robust breakdown of estimates of khat use by ethnic origin.

James Brokenshire: Estimates of khat use broken down by ethnic origin are expected to be published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Drugs Misuse Declared: Findings from the 2010-11 BCS which is due for release in July 2011.

Metropolitan Police Status Dog Unit

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs have been collected by the Metropolitan police status dog unit in the last 12 months; how many such dogs were returned to their owners; and what the costs to the Metropolitan police was of that work in that period.

Nick Herbert: The information is not collected centrally.

Neighbourhood Policing Fund

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding was allocated to the Neighbourhood Policing Fund in (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and what proportion of funding from that Fund was allocated to police community support officers in each of those years.

Nick Herbert: The amounts allocated to forces though the Neighbourhood Policing Fund were £332 million in 2009-10 and £341 million in 2010-11. Approximately 90% is ring fenced for police community support officers (PCSOs)-contributing up to 75% of the salary costs of PCSOs engaged in neighbourhood policing.

Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to publish her Department's response to the consultation on the proposed changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A;
	(2)  which organisations her Department informed about the consultation on the proposed changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code of Practice A; and on what basis these organisations were selected.

Nick Herbert: All consultations on changes to the Codes of Practice are carried out in accordance with section 67(4) of PACE. This sets out that the statutory consultees are the Association of Police Authorities, the Association of Chief Police Officers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the General Council of the Bar, the Law Society of England and Wales, and the Institute of Legal Executives.
	In addition to the statutory bodies we have also consulted with other relevant organisations, i.e. Liberty, Justice, Police Federation, National Police Improvement Agency, Criminal Prosecution Service, Criminal Bar Association, Criminal Law Solicitors Association, Independent Police Complaints Commission, and the Police Superintendents Association.
	There are no plans to publish the responses to the consultation.

Police: Buildings

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many buildings owned by Kent police are not in use for operational purposes; and what the  (a) location and  (b) market value is of each such building.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not held centrally. Buildings owned by Kent police are a matter for the relevant police authority, and questions about them are therefore best addressed by the chief constable.

Police: Computers

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be responsible for the National Police Computer following the implementation of her proposal to establish the National Crime Agency.

Theresa May: holding answer 17 November 2010
	The Home Office is currently working with the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), and the wider police service, to determine appropriate arrangements for running those functions that will continue after the NPIA is phased out.

Stop and Search: Complaints

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made against each police authority on the use of stop and search powers in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such complaints was upheld in each such year.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information.
	Statistics relating to the police complaints system are matters for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and they will write to the hon. Member directly.

Stop and Search: Ethnic Groups

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of stops and searches of individuals from each ethnic background were conducted in  (a) each police authority area and  (b) England in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: The information requested on stops and searches in 2008-09 (latest available) is provided in the tables placed in the House Library.

Summertime: Crime

Rebecca Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of  (a) street crime,  (b) burglary and  (c) criminal damage were recorded during the week (i) prior to and (ii) after the end of Daylight Saving Time in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not available. The Home Office publish crime statistics on a quarterly basis only and weekly data are not available centrally.

UK Border Agency: Finance

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) resource and  (b) capital budget of the UK Border Agency will be in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14 and (iv) 2014-15; and what the real terms change compared to 2010-11 will be to each such budget in each of those years.

Theresa May: holding answer 15 November 2010
	Final detailed budgets have not yet been agreed. The priority of the Agency remains to secure the border and to control migration while we play our part in reducing the public deficit. We are committed to programmes such as e-Borders and the Immigration Case Working system that will help to reduce the threat of terrorism, crime and immigration abuse and replace costly and outmoded paper work, respectively. These programmes will help improve our productivity and efficiency and will mean that we can target our resources on those people likely to cause most harm to the UK. As a result the UK Border Agency will be able to deliver its objectives while reducing the budget by up to 20% in real terms over the next four years.

Visas

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her most recent estimate is of the number of people who have overstayed the leave granted on short term visas.

Damian Green: We do not currently hold the information to answer this question. However provision of this information will be enabled by the e-Borders system when it becomes fully operational, planned for March 2015.
	We are therefore unable to answer the PQ as tabled.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each of its Ministers in  (a) September and  (b) October 2010.

Alistair Burt: The total spend for Ministers on Government hospitality was as follows:
	 (a) September 2010: £885
	 (b) October 2010: £1,155.
	These figures are based on services used and paid for in the months of September and October 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on administrative costs in respect of foreign transactions in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alistair Burt: Foreign transactions are carried out at all our posts overseas and in the UK. Administrative costs for these transactions are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Institute for Fiscal Studies

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each of the last 10 years.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made any payments for services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Middle East

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who he met during his recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, if he will place in the Library copies of material supplied to him by the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority during the visit; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met a range of key players during his recent visit including the Israeli President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defence Minister and the Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. He also visited the parents of Gilad Shalit and met Palestinians involved in non-violent resistance.
	He did not receive any written material from either the Government of Israel or the Palestinian Authority during his visit to the region.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) is taking and  (b) plans to take in the next 12 months with his international counterparts to ensure that Hamas accepts the Quartet Principles and joins peace negotiations; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Hamas' ideology of violence directly undermines prospects for peace in the region. We will continue to call on Hamas, with international partners, to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) is taking and  (b) plans to take to promote (i) Palestinian reconciliation and (ii) full acceptance of the Quartet Principles by all parties in the region; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK supports President Abbas' efforts on Palestinian reconciliation which is the key component in reuniting the Gaza strip and West Bank under one authority. But this needs to be a Palestinian-led process and in accordance with Palestinian law.
	We have made it consistently clear that we will engage any Palestinian Government that shows through their words and actions that they are committed to the Quartet Principles. President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad's government clearly meets this commitment and has made huge progress in reforming and building the institutions of state.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Israel on security threats from Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Lieberman during his visit to Israel. They discussed a number of Middle East Peace Process related issues including security concerns.
	We recognise Israel's concerns regarding Hamas, who continue to pursue an ideology of violence which directly undermines prospects for peace in the region.
	We call on Hamas to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart during his recent visit to Israel on Israel's security concerns; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed both the Middle East Peace Process and the UK's cooperation with Israel on Iran with Prime Minister Netanyahu during his recent visit to the region. He underlined the UK's view that direct talks offer the best opportunity for progress on the Middle East Peace Process and that this is important to Israel's long term security.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in the Middle East peace process; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the situation with Secretary Clinton and Senator Mitchell during his recent visit to Washington. We believe that direct talks offer the best opportunity to achieve a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian State living in peace and security alongside a safe and secure Israel and their other neighbours in the region.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the acquisition of anti-aircraft missiles by Hamas since September 2010; what discussions he has had with the government of Israel on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports that Hamas have acquired anti-aircraft missiles. We have long made it clear that the arming and funding of Hamas, and other Palestinian Rejectionist Groups, is unacceptable.
	We recognise Israel's legitimate security needs. We have underlined the need for Hamas to end rocket attacks on Israel. We call on them to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles.

Middle East: Politics and Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political situation in the West Bank since September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The impact of the occupation in the West Bank remains an important concern. We welcome the improvements in movement and access that have taken place over the last year. This shows that access restrictions can be reduced without compromising Israel's security. We look to Israel to work with the Palestinian Authority to further ease restrictions.
	The EU continues to follow closely the cases of human rights defenders arrested in the West Bank. We look to Israel to ensure that those detained have access to a fair trial in accordance with international law.
	We recognise that the Palestinian Authority security forces are making West Bank towns safer for ordinary Palestinians and combating terrorism. However, we remain concerned about allegations of ill treatment of Palestinian detainees and call for an end to this.

Middle East: Politics and Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political situation in Gaza since September 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK is concerned by the humanitarian, economic and political situation in Gaza.
	Gaza's aid dependency will continue until the economy recovers. There needs to be progress on exports, and improved access to land and fishing areas. The best way to safeguard Israel's security is through empowering Gaza's business fraternity.
	During his recent visit, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary welcomed the steps that the Government of Israel have taken to improve access but underlined the need for further measures to secure change on the ground.
	At the same time it is important to remember that Hamas continues to pursue an ideology of violence which directly undermines prospects for peace in the region. We call on Hamas to take immediate and concrete steps towards the Quartet principles and to release Gilad Shalit unconditionally.

Middle East: Politics and Government

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the economic situation in the Palestinian territories since September 2010; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Gaza with the Israeli Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defence Minister during his visit to the region. He welcomed the steps Israel has taken to improve access but underlined the need for further steps to secure change on the ground. I also made clear to the House on 8 November the need to support economic revitalisation in Gaza.
	To help support the Gazan economy the Government have recently announced a further £2 million in new funding to support the recovery of Gaza's private sector. We are also supporting the United Nations and Palestinian Authority teams working to facilitate access to imports in Gaza.
	The West Bank economy is clearly benefiting from stability and good governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Fayyad. Israel has also played its part by relaxing many movement and access restrictions, making it easier for businesses to operate and grow. Prime Minister Fayyad is aware of the challenges that lie ahead and is trying to address these through his reform agenda, which we support.

Muslim Brotherhood

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of potential links between the UK offices of the Muslim Brotherhood and  (a) Hamas,  (b) Islamic Jihad and  (c) other organisations.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports which suggest that there are significant historic linkages between the Muslim Brotherhood, its overseas affiliates and Hamas. Historically the Brotherhood has presented Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement for the Palestinian people.
	The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) are the Brotherhood's representative in the UK. MAB in the UK publically rejects violence and state that they work for wider Muslim integration into British society.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Israeli Government on the  (a) Al Araqib and other unrecognised villages and  (b) UN Human Rights Committee's recommendations of July 2010 on access to health structures, education, water and electricity for residents of those villages.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned that Israel's minority Arab population, including Bedouin Arab minorities, are suffering institutional, legal and societal inequality and discrimination. We remain concerned that the Israeli Government's Goldberg Commission's 2008 recommendations, which included a recommendation to recognise most of the remaining unrecognised Bedouin villages, has not brought about an end to the demolition of Bedouin houses and villages.
	During the recent UN Human Rights Committee hearing in Geneva on 13 and 14 July along with UN colleagues, we raised these concerns with the Government of Israel. Israel told the Committee that it was in ongoing discussions with Bedouin leaders about housing access and housing rights. We continue to support calls made by the EU and the UN for a genuine and satisfactory solution to these problems that the Bedouin communities face. We have made it clear that Israel should take the steps necessary to ensure that the rights of these minorities are protected.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Coroners: Conflict of Interests

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Attorney-General if he will review the provisions governing the relationship between coroners and police forces to ensure that there is no possibility of a conflict of interests arising.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coroner law and policy, but no operational role in the service delivered by coroners. Consequently, my Department has no locus to direct or manage the relationship between coroners and the police and there are no provisions specifically on this issue. However, Ministry of Justice officials have been working with the UK Missing Persons Bureau, part of the National Policing Improvement Agency, and the Coroners' Society of England and Wales to ensure that conflicts of interest between the police service and Coroners are minimised.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Management: Pay

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the  (a) names,  (b) responsibilities and  (c) annual salaries are of each member of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's senior management team.

Charles Walker: It has not been possible for IPSA to provide a response to this question by the named day. IPSA will respond as soon as possible.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Departmental Publications

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Office's policy responsibilities contained in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being by the Government Office for Science; if her Office will ensure that her Office takes steps to promote well-being; if she will ensure that her Office's policy development process takes account of psychological research into subjective well-being; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 9 November 2010
	My right hon. Friend the Minister for Women and Equalities and I welcome the conclusions of the Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing and will ensure that the Department acts on these as appropriate for the benefit of its staff. The Government Equalities Office is aware of the ways in which it can promote wellbeing and positive mental health for both its own staff and in its policy making.

Ethnic Minorities

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how much the Government Equalities Office spent under each budget heading on holding events relating to the roll-out of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors' Taskforce; and how many staff were involved in organising these events.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office spent a total of £139,681 on hosting 16 events across Britain under the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce programme. This was established in May 2008 to find practical ways to increase the numbers of ethnic minority women councillors.
	Events were held to raise awareness and understanding of the role of a councillor, three GEO staff members were involved in supporting the work of the taskforce.
	The breakdown of the expenditure was as follows:
	
		
			  Budget Heading  £ 
			 Venue hire and catering for 16 events including childcare to enable delegates to attend events 41,793 
			 Event speaker's/facilitators including travel and subsistence for taskforce members and strategic partners to 16 events 13,040 
			 Event organisers' management costs 82, 521 
			 Photography 2,327

Government Equalities Office: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many Equality Act 2010 training events held or sponsored by the  (a) Government Equalities Office and  (b) Equality and Human Rights Commission there have been; how many attendees there were at each such event; how many future such events the Government Equalities Office plans to hold; and what estimate she has made of the cost under each budget heading of each such event.

Lynne Featherstone: The 2010 Equality Act was an important streamlining of equality legislation. The Impact Assessment, published in April 2010 shows a total benefit figure (private and public sector) for the Equality Act 2010 of £75 million over 10 years, which includes a £66.5 million benefit for the private sector. In order that these benefits are realised, both Government Equalities Office and Equality and Human Rights Commission have provided a range of support and guidance on their websites as well as speaking at externally organised events. We intend to continue this approach.
	The Government Equalities Office sponsored Citizens Advice to develop a training programme for its national advice session supervisors and to cascade training to its network of advisors. The cost of the development of this package was £15,000. 11 training sessions have been held so far across England and Wales, taking place between 22 September and 22 October 2010. A total of 146 Citizen's Advice Bureau supervisors attended these sessions. A further 10 sessions are planned.
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an arm's length body; the following is based on information it has provided.
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission held 14 training events for a number of organisations on the Equality Act 2010, at a total cost of £1,480. These events were held between 24 September 2009 and 11 November 2010. The total number of attendees at these events was recorded as 228.

Sexuality: Housing

Bob Stewart: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities for what reasons housing associations require applicants to provide information on their sexual identity, religious belief and gender identity under the Equality Act 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: Housing associations are not required to collect this information under the Equality Act 2010.
	Housing associations and others may choose to collect such data, to assist their compliance with the provisions in the Act (e.g. to ensure that their policies do not discriminate against people with those protected characteristics or in order to establish whether their policies and practices meet the particular needs of the people who access their services).

Women's National Commission

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what the  (a) membership and  (b) functions of the organisations to be established to take over the work of the Women's National Commission (WNC) will be; and which organisation will undertake the WNC's international work.

Lynne Featherstone: We announced on 14 October 2010 that the core functions of the Women's National Commission (WNC) will be brought into the Government Equalities Office (GEO). This means that the work traditionally carried out by the WNC-ensuring that women's voices are heard at the centre of Government-will be carried out by the GEO.
	We will be consulting on the new approach in the new year; this will include how we engage with former WNC partners and the most appropriate way to deliver international work.

Women's National Commission

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities who was consulted on the equality impact assessment on the proposed closure of the Women's National Commission; and on what date  (a) that consultation and  (b) the equality impact assessment was completed.

Lynne Featherstone: The review of public bodies was a commitment set out in the coalition agreement, and was announced in the Queen's Speech on 25 May 2010.
	As part of the review process:
	the Women's National Commission was asked to respond to the three tests set by Cabinet Office as part of the review of public bodies - a response was received on 29 June
	The Minister for Equalities met with the chair of the Commission on 20 July to seek her views
	Over 70 women's organisations wrote to the Minister for Women and Equality about the WNC's inclusion in the review of public bodies and provided information
	GEO held regular meetings with WNC staff during the period of the review and met with trade union officials
	This information was used to inform the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA). The EIA was completed once the decision to abolish the WNC had been confirmed and published on 14 October, when the outcome of the review was announced.
	The GEO will be consulting on the new approach to engaging and listening to women in the new year.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take into account whether destinations for flights have low carbon economies, in his proposals for changes to levels of air passenger duty;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects of changes to air passenger duty on people with family links to the Caribbean;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects of increases in the level of air passenger duty on  (a) the number of airline routes operating from the UK and  (b) the level of carbon dioxide emissions from such flights;
	(4)  if he will bring forward proposals for higher rates of air passenger duty for short haul flights within Europe.

Justine Greening: The existing rates of APD were set and legislated for by the previous Government. An impact assessment was published at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/apd-reform-ia.pdf
	The June Budget stated that the Government will explore changes to the aviation tax system, including switching from a per-passenger to a per-plane duty. Major changes will be subject to consultation.

Banks: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the levels of sovereign debt held by banks based in the UK in respect of  (a) the Republic of Ireland and  (b) Portugal.

Mark Hoban: As part of the stress tests carried out earlier this year by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS), all major EU banks including those in the UK published data on their European sovereign debt holdings, including for the Republic of Ireland and Portugal.
	The report from CEBS was published at the end of July and can be found online at:
	http://www.c-ebs.org/EuWideStressTesting.aspx
	In addition, the Financial Services Authority monitors the financial positions of UK banks and their holdings of different asset classes for supervisory purposes. This information is not released publicly.

Copyright: Music

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the revenue received by the Exchequer of raising to 75 years the period in which musicians' works receive copyright protection.

David Gauke: Royalties are not recorded separately in self-assessment, and so it is not possible to estimate the associated tax yields, nor the impact of extending copyright protection.

Crown Currency Exchange

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate UK Financial Investments has made of the liabilities of financial limitation in public ownership arising from the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange Ltd.

Mark Hoban: Crown Currency Exchange Ltd has not entered into public ownership as a result of going into administration.
	Therefore there is no requirement on UK Financial Investments (UKFI) to make any estimates of the financial liability arising from the entry into administration of Crown Currency Exchange Ltd.

Economic Governance Task Force

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his letter to other EU member states of 9 July 2010, on the European Taskforce on EU Economic Governance, by what mechanisms he proposes to make Ministers accountable to other member states.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 18 November 2010
	 In the same way that our economy is subject to scrutiny from organisations such as the IMF and OECD, the Government report annually on our economic policies to ECOFIN and benefits from reports on the policies of other member states, as set out in article 126 of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union (the stability and growth pact). We believe that it is right that we should co-operate with this process because of its contribution to macro-economic stability in the EU, but that co-operation should in no way undermine the fiscal sovereignty of the UK.
	Although We do submit information to the EU under the stability and growth pact as required in section 5 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993, this is presented to Parliament first. This was reinforced when discussions on the EU semester took place earlier this year and the Chancellor secured a clear provision in the stability and growth pact code of conduct to ensure that the UK will continue to send its Budget to the EU only once it has been presented to Parliament. All other member states are now required to send draft budgetary plans to the EU under the EU semester.
	Furthermore, while the EU can make recommendations on our fiscal position, by virtue of protocol 15 of the treaty, we are under no obligation to act on such recommendations. While we believe it is important to be transparent to other member states through the processes outlined above, we ensured that agreement reached at the European Taskforce on Economic Governance preserves the UK's fiscal sovereignty.

European Financial Stability Mechanism

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether the European Financial Stability Mechanism procedure can only be activated by a member state in line with the procedure prescribed by Article 3 of the regulation establishing that mechanism and not by qualified majority voting;
	(2)  whether under the regulation establishing the European Financial Stability Mechanism the final decision on the provision of financial assistance may only be taken by the ECOFIN Council acting on a qualified majority vote.

Mark Hoban: The terms of operation of the European Financial Stability Mechanism are set out in EU Council Regulation No. 407/2010. Article 3 of this Regulation states that a member state seeking assistance should discuss its requirements with the Commission (in liaison with the European Central Bank) and submit an adjustment programme to the Commission and the Economic and Financial Committee. Assistance is granted by a qualified majority decision of ECOFIN, acting on a proposal from the Commission.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the introduction of a fair fuel stabiliser.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) on 1 November 2010,  Official Report, column 665W.

Institute for Fiscal Studies

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on services provided by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in each year from 2000-01 to 2007-08.

Justine Greening: The following table shows the amounts spent with the Institute for Fiscal Studies by HM Treasury since 2002-03.
	
		
			   £000 
			 2002-03 55 
			 2003-04 28 
			 2004-05 14 
			 2005-06 1 
			 2006-07 18 
			 2007-08 21 
		
	
	Information on spending prior to 2002-03 is no longer available due to the introduction of a new accounting system in that year.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 1 September 2010 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay regarding Keith Brown.

David Gauke: holding answer 19 November 2010
	 I have replied to my hon. Friend.

National Insurance Contributions: Southern England

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of extending the proposed national insurance holiday for new firms of 10 or fewer employees to companies in  (a) Greater London,  (b) the South East and  (c) the East of England.

David Gauke: The Government published details of how the regional employer national insurance contributions holiday for new businesses was costed as part of the Budget 2010 policy costings document. Had the holiday been extended to other regions, the estimated total cost on the same basis over three years would have been, for extension to  (a) Greater London, £250 million;  (b) the South East, £250 million;  (c) the East of England, £160 million. The Government's policy is, however, to target support on those countries and regions most reliant on public sector employment.

PAYE

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target date HM Revenue and Customs has set to clear the backlog of outstanding Pay As You Earn customer reviews.

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many staff HM Revenue and Customs has deployed to work on the recovery of PAYE tax underpaid between the tax years starting  (a) 2000 to 2007 and  (b) 2008-09;
	(2)  whether deadlines will be set for HM Revenue and Customs to recover tax underpaid in previous years under PAYE.

David Gauke: The National Insurance and PAYE Service (NPS) introduced in 2009 automates the end of year reconciliation process. This automated process is being used to reconcile the 2008-09 and 2009-10 tax years. The exercise commenced in September 2010 and the bulk of the exercise is planned to be completed by Christmas 2010.
	HMRC is also setting in place a programme to complete the clearance of PAYE 'legacy' open cases that arise from earlier years (prior to 2008-09) and the previous PAYE computer system, with a view for their clearance by the end of 2012 and by reference to the normal statutory time limits for their undertaking.
	HMRC has approximately 10,300 people who are employed on all aspects of PAYE and self-assessment processing. This includes identifying where customers have underpaid or overpaid tax whether they are self employed or employed. Separate information on the number of staff on the recovery of underpaid tax from PAYE is not available.

PAYE

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has allocated for reform of the PAYE system to enable the collection of information about tax and other calculations in real time.

David Gauke: The Government announced their intention to consult on the next stage of improving PAYE through the use of real time information as part of the spending review announcement on 20 October 2010.
	HMRC is currently in the process of negotiating contracts in this area and therefore, for reasons of commercial sensitivity, this information cannot be made available.

Revenue and Customs

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met representatives of staff at HM Revenue and Customs; and what topics were discussed at the meeting.

David Gauke: On 29 September, as Minister responsible for HMRC, I met with representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Association of Revenue and Customs (ARC), the two unions recognised by HMRC. This meeting followed an invitation from PCS. The topics discussed at the meeting were the potential impact of spending cuts on HMRC and its ability to narrow the tax gap and the impact on the civil service of the Government agenda, including possible changes on pensions, compensation and pay.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which  (a) benefits,  (b) tax credits and  (c) pensions paid from the public purse (i) are uprated by the consumer prices index (CPI), (ii) are uprated by the retail price index but will move to the CPI following the implementation of the proposals in the June 2010 Budget and (iii) are uprated by another index but will move to the CPI following the implementation of the proposals in the June 2010 Budget.

David Gauke: Information on past uprating practices for social security benefits can be found in the previous uprating statements to the House prepared by the Department for Work Pensions; in the case of tax credits, this information can be found in past Budgets and pre-Budget reports published by the previous administration.
	As announced in the June 2010 Budget, the switch to the Consumer Price Index will apply to all benefits and tax credits that were previously uprated by either the Retail Price Index or the Rossi index. This change will also apply to public service pensions through the statutory link to the indexation of the state second pension.
	The Government are reintroducing the earnings link to the basic state pension with a triple guarantee that the basic state pension is raised by the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5%.

Tax Avoidance

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce the level of tax avoidance in respect of  (a) inheritance tax,  (b) capital gains tax,  (c) income tax,  (d) stamp duty and  (e) value added tax; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: This Government are committed to tackling avoidance and intend to build in sustainable defences against avoidance opportunities when undertaking policy reform and to review areas of the tax system in which repeated changes have been necessary to close loopholes. We are also considering whether there is a case for developing a General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) for the UK.
	Alongside this we will continue to use intelligence obtained from the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes regime and other sources to detect avoidance schemes early and we will challenge avoidance robustly where we find it.
	The Government have also confirmed their commitment to tackling tax avoidance when they announced that £900 million would be made available over the spending review period to fund HM Revenue and Customs' compliance activities against tax evasion, fraud and avoidance.

Tax Evasion

Mary Glindon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the proposed reduction to HM Revenue and Customs' budget does not allow a rise in the incidence of tax evasion.

David Gauke: The Government confirmed their commitment to tackling tax evasion when they announced £900 million would be made available over the spending review period to fund HM Revenue and Customs' compliance activities against tax evasion, fraud and avoidance. This will include an increase in the number of criminal prosecutions and deployment of dedicated tax experts to extend HMRC's coverage of large business, focusing on tackling high-risk areas. This should bring in around £7 billion per annum by 2014-15 in additional revenues.

Taxation: War Widows

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has he made of the amount of income tax paid by war widows in receipt of payments from the Army Compensation Scheme in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: Information on income tax paid on Survivor's Guaranteed Income Payments (SGIP) from the armed forces compensation scheme is not available, nor is the total income tax recipients pay.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to Question 21342, on independent tax regulations, tabled on 28 October 2010 for named day answer on 2 November 2010.

David Gauke: I have replied to the hon. Member.

EDUCATION

Academies: VAT

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on  (a) the grant to be awarded by his Department to academy schools to cover the cost of value added tax payments and  (b) the treatment of value added tax receipts from academy schools; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government are committed to funding academy schools on a similar basis to maintained schools. The spending review agreed that in future, and subject to the necessary legislation, academies' non-business VAT costs will be reimbursed through a refund scheme similar to the scheme that already applies to local authority maintained schools. My officials will work with their counterparts in HM Treasury on how this scheme will operate in practice and further details will be set out in due course.

Apprentices

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wigan of 17 June 2010,  Official Report, column 531W, on apprentices, if he will estimate the number of  (a) level 2,  (b) level 3 and  (c) level 4 apprenticeships in each subject which are available in educational institutions in each constituency for the academic year 2010-11.

John Hayes: Days after taking office we announced an additional 50,000 apprenticeship places over this financial year, taking the total to be delivered to well over 300,000 places, a record for the apprenticeship programme. We have also introduced new freedoms for colleges and training providers to shift other provision into apprenticeships, so the exact number delivered will be dependent on employer demand for high-quality apprenticeships.
	There are almost 200 job roles at levels 2, 3 and 4 in which someone may be an apprentice. Take-up across subject areas and by constituency follows employer demand. For these reasons, we are not able to provide estimates of the number, level, subject and geographical distribution of apprenticeships as these would be either too broad to be of use or would be potentially misleading.

Children In Care

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of the children taken into care  (a) in the latest period for which figures are available and  (b) in each of the last five years had previously been in care on one or more occasions.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 10 November 2010
	The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Children who were taken into care during the year ending 31 March who had previously been in care on one or more occasions( 1,2,3) -Coverage: England 
			  Years ending 31 March 2006 to 2010:  Number 
			 2006 620 
			 2007 590 
			 2008 640 
			 2009 700 
			 2010 700 
			 1. England figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. 3. Children who were taken into care are children who started to be looked after under a care order, police protection, an emergency protection order or a child assessment order.  Source: SSDA 903

Curriculum

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2010,  Official Report, column 463W, on curriculum, if he will issue guidance to  (a) maintained schools and  (b) academies on what constitutes a broad and balanced curriculum.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 9 November 2010
	This Government have committed to freeing all schools from unnecessary bureaucracy and to giving schools greater freedom over the curriculum. We will be announcing detailed plans for a review of the national curriculum before the end of the year. We will consider in light of the outcomes of that review what guidance, if necessary, is produced.

Departmental Manpower

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) officials and  (b) external advisers are working on Professor Alison Wolf's review of vocational education.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 13 October 2010
	Officials from both the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are providing support to Professor Wolf. The support they are offering is, in total, equivalent to around three full-time posts at the present time but this will fall to the equivalent of around 1.5 full-time posts when work to manage and analyse the evidence which is currently being offered to Professor Wolf for the review has been completed in mid-November.
	No external advisers, apart from Professor Wolf herself, are working on this review.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what timetable has been set for ending education maintenance allowance and replacing it with targeted support.

Nick Gibb: The education maintenance allowance scheme will close at the end of the 2010/11 academic year and no new applications will be processed from 1 January 2011. It will be replaced by an enhanced Discretionary Learner Support Fund. Decisions about which young people should receive financial support from the Discretionary Learner Support Fund will be made by schools, colleges and training providers, who are in a better position than Government to determine the needs of individual students. They will target support to those young people who most need it to continue in education.

Examinations

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the examination system in measuring attainment.

Nick Gibb: It is for Ofqual as the independent regulator to ensure that examinations measure an individual's attainment accurately. Ofqual makes regular reports on qualifications and assessments which explore aspects of how they do this in greater depth. These reports can be found at:
	www.Ofqual.gov.uk
	Ofqual reports on a number of different aspects of standards in qualifications and assessments and its work is based on five common criteria against which it judges qualifications and assessment: validity, reliability, comparability, manageability and minimisation of bias.
	In terms of giving accurate information on how attainment is improving overall, my Department will reform the league tables so that schools are able to focus on, and demonstrate, the progress of children of all abilities. We will also make more data available to the public. In addition to the headline indicators in the tables, parents will be able to access a wealth of information about their schools. Our plans will be announced in a forthcoming White Paper.

Free School Meals

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals in each constituency.

Nick Gibb: The requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.

Free School Meals

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children are eligible for free school meals in each ward in Warrington North constituency; and what proportion of those eligible are claiming free meals.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 4 November 2010
	The Department collects information on the number of pupils who meet the free school meals eligibility criteria and make a claim. Information is not available on the number of pupils who may be eligible but do not make a claim.
	The number of pupils who were known to be eligible and make a claim for free school meals is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2)  and special( 3)  schools: school meal arrangements( 4,5) 
			  As at January 2010-by each ward within Warrington North parliamentary constituency 
			  Ward name  Number on roll( 4,5)  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 4,5)  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 Birchwood 1,795 290 16.2 
			 Burtonwood and Winwick 583 35 6.0 
			 Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft 2,056 124 6.0 
			 Fairfield and Howley 1,197 216 18.0 
			 Orford 1,690 492 29.1 
			 Poplars and Hulme 403 150 37.2 
			 Poulton North 1,409 384 27.3 
			 Poulton South 705 75 10.6 
			 Rixton and Woolston 1,099 73 6.6 
			 Westbrook 747 28 3.7 
			 
			 Warrington North (all wards) 11,684 1,867 16.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. There are no city technology colleges or academies in Warrington North parliamentary constituency. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 and under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between five and 15.  Source: School Census

Free School Meals: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children in Pendle were eligible for free school meals on the latest date for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The requested information has been placed in the House Libraries.

GCSEs

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many pupils were entered for a modern language GCSE in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case;
	(2)  how many pupils were entered for a psychology GCSE in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case;
	(3)  how many pupils were entered for a physics GCSE in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case;
	(4)  how many pupils were entered for a chemistry GCSE in  (a) comprehensive schools  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case;
	(5)  how many pupils were entered for an English literature GCSE in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) maintained selective schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in each such case;
	(6)  how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for a physical education GCSE in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) selective maintained schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997;
	(7)  how many and what proportion of pupils were entered for a religious education GCSE in  (a) comprehensive schools,  (b) selective maintained schools and  (c) independent schools in each year since 1997.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is given in the following tables. Figures from 1997-2004 have been based on pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year. Figures from 2005-10 have been based on pupils reaching the end of key stage 4.
	Figures for 2010 are provisional.
	
		
			  Number of pupils entering GCSE 
			   School type  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			 Modern foreign language Comprehensive 360,740 374,108 384,669 386,595 397,915 386,580 379,077 
			  Selective 19,785 19,522 19,892 19,848 20,531 20,745 21,011 
			  Independent 38,051 36,875 36,116 36,050 37,329 37,383 37,074 
			 Physical education Comprehensive 69,622 72,024 80,221 82,414 89,498 94290 98,408 
			  Selective 1,212 1,498 1,741 1,958 2,114 2,150 2,462 
			  Independent 2,198 2,410 2,600 2,814 3,250 3,578 4,039 
			 Religious education(1) Comprehensive 84,147 78,946 81,552 80,663 84,758 86,820 95,853 
			  Selective 4,391 3,603 3,772 3,703 3,943 4,391 5,266 
			  Independent 10,455 10,138 9,562 9,352 9,695 9,917 10,320 
			 Chemistry Comprehensive 12,987 14,026 14,930 15,660 16,262 16,913 19,682 
			  Selective 5,673 6,398 6,675 6,569 6,807 6,800 6,868 
			  Independent 16,486 16,055 15,932 15,321 15,592 15,233 14135 
			 Physics Comprehensive 12,917 13,961 14,822 15,645 16,134 16,805 19,179 
			  Selective 5,613 6,343 6,674 6,594 6,810 6,818 6,871 
			  Independent 16,009 15,823 15,607 15,148 15,361 14,891 13,836 
			 Psychology Comprehensive 127 122 189 230 227 425 842 
			  Selective (3)- (3)- 5 24 27 23 55 
			  Independent 11 9 10 14 9 16 8 
			 English literature(2) Comprehensive 387,823 380,389 395,028 398,315 418,081 425,051 439,296 
			  Selective 19,708 19,191 19,680 19,648 20,442 20,764 21,279 
			  Independent 36,031 34,559 33,850 33,878 35,219 35,321 35,458 
		
	
	
		
			   School type  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Modern foreign language Comprehensive 361,058 302,437 255,804 232,025 219,620 211,705 206,087 
			  Selective 21,387 21,300 21,070 20,902 20,821 20,454 20,578 
			  Independent 38,209 39,618 40,466 40,261 40,150 39,193 39,755 
			 Physical education Comprehensive 108,063 116,050 122,306 123,691 117,518 105,849 94,585 
			  Selective 2,864 3,187 3,754 4,135 4,134 4,368 4,156 
			  Independent 4,667 5,338 6,124 6,639 6,808 6,893 6,910 
			 Religious education(1) Comprehensive 103,041 109,798 121,012 130,947 137,293 139,259 141,325 
			  Selective 6,041 6,403 6,980 7,044 7,759 8,440 8,628 
			  Independent 11,016 11,885 12,750 12,926 13,697 13,658 14,226 
			 Chemistry Comprehensive 21,170 23,776 26,834 28,503 41,564 53,655 79,812 
			  Selective 7,156 7,183 7,364 7,752 11,024 12,653 14,185 
			  Independent 14,372 14,681 14,654 14,338 14,985 15,670 17,274 
			 Physics Comprehensive 20,869 23,478 26,545 28,375 41,094 53,533 79,665 
			  Selective 7,168 7,188 7,364 7,745 11,099 12,726 14,184 
			  Independent 14,108 14,483 14,472 14,158 14,432 15,026 16,410 
			 Psychology Comprehensive 1,134 1,668 2,520 3,335 4,691 5,308 5,721 
			  Selective 55 107 73 79 159 252 289 
			  Independent 18 13 42 88 123 122 140 
			 English literature(2) Comprehensive 448,293 442,696 442,861 439,299 429,266 405,424 391,098 
			  Selective 21,792 21,932 22,210 21,972 21,987 21,499 21,840 
			  Independent 37,228 38,699 40,312 40,199 38,953 36,853 37,371 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils entering GCSE 
			   School type  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			 Modern foreign language Comprehensive 77.4 78.4 79.7 80.3 79.5 76.6 73.4 
			  Selective 97.3 97.7 97.9 98.3 97.9 97.6 96.8 
			  Independent 90.9 84.6 84.3 84.4 84.8 84.6 83.6 
			 Physical education Comprehensive 14.9 15.1 16.6 17.1 17.9 18.7 19.0 
			  Selective 6.0 7.5 8.6 9.7 10.1 10.1 11.3 
			  Independent 5.2 5.5 6.1 6.6 7.4 8.1 9.1 
			 Religious education(1) Comprehensive 18.1 16.5 16.9 16.7 16.9 17.2 18.6 
			  Selective 21.6 18.0 18.6 18.3 18.8 20.7 24.3 
			  Independent 25.0 23.3 22.3 21.9 22.0 22.5 23.3 
			 Chemistry Comprehensive 2.8 2.9 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.8 
			  Selective 27.9 32.0 32.9 32.5 32.5 32.0 31.6 
			  Independent 39.4 36.8 37.2 35.9 35.4 34.5 31.9 
			 Physics Comprehensive 2.8 2.9 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.7 
			  Selective 27.6 31.8 32.8 32.7 32.5 32.1 31.7 
			  Independent 38.2 36.3 36.4 35.4 34.9 33.7 31.2 
			 Psychology Comprehensive 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 
			  Selective (3)- (3)- 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 
			  Independent 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 English literature(2) Comprehensive 83.2 79.7 81.8 82.7 83.6 84.3 85.0 
			  Selective 97.0 96.1 96.9 97.3 97.5 97.7 98.0 
			  Independent 86.0 79.3 79.0 79.3 80.0 80.0 80.0 
		
	
	
		
			   School type  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Modern foreign language Comprehensive 67.8 57.5 47.9 42.9 40.9 40.8 39.6 
			  Selective 96.2 95.6 93.6 93.0 92.3 91.4 91.0 
			  Independent 81.4 84.7 83.1 83.8 83.9 80.9 78.9 
			 Physical education Comprehensive 20.3 22.1 22.9 22.9 21.9 20.4 18.2 
			  Selective 12.9 14.3 16.7 18.4 18.3 19.5 18.4 
			  Independent 9.9 11.4 12.6 13.8 14.2 14.2 13.7 
			 Religious education(1) Comprehensive 19.3 20.9 22.6 24.2 25.6 26.8 27.1 
			  Selective 27.2 28.7 31.0 31.4 34.4 37.7 38.2 
			  Independent 23.5 25.4 26.2 26.9 28.6 28.2 28.2 
			 Chemistry Comprehensive 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.3 7.7 10.3 15.3 
			  Selective 32.2 32.2 32.7 34.5 48.9 56.5 62.7 
			  Independent 30.6 31.4 30.1 29.9 31.3 32.4 34.3 
			 Physics Comprehensive 3.9 4.5 5.0 5.2 7.7 10.3 15.3 
			  Selective 32.2 32.3 32.7 34.5 49.2 56.8 62.7 
			  Independent 30.0 31.0 29.7 29.5 30.2 31.0 32.6 
			 Psychology Comprehensive 0.2 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.9 1.0 1.1 
			  Selective 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.7 1.1 1.3 
			  Independent 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 English literature(2) Comprehensive 84.1 84.2 82.9 81.2 80.0 78.1 75.1 
			  Selective 98.0 98.4 98.7 97.8 97.5 96.0 96.6 
			  Independent 79.3 82.8 82.8 83.7 81.4 76.1 74.2 
			 (1 )Both religious education and religious studies have been counted.  (2 )Only pure English literature GCSEs have been counted. English literature forms part of the curriculum in other subjects such as English but these have not been counted.  (3) Figures have been suppressed due to small numbers.   Source:  The Secondary School and College Performance Tables.

Geography: Education

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on the teaching of geography in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to promote the teaching of geography in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We have made clear that we intend to review the National Curriculum. Our intention in doing this is to restore it to its original purpose-a core national entitlement organised around subject disciplines. One of the tasks of the review will be to identify the aspects of geographical knowledge that all children should acquire at certain ages.
	We will be announcing details of the review later in the year and are committed to ensuring that it will be conducted in an open and transparent manner. We intend to consult a wide range of interested parties, including subject associations, teachers and academics, before coming to any conclusions.
	Ahead of the review we have received a number of representations about the teaching of geography in primary and secondary schools. In particular, the Geographical Association has encouraged its members to write to MPs to reinforce the message that geography matters; MPs have written to departmental Ministers.
	A child's education is diminished without a sound knowledge of geography. The Government want to encourage children to study geography beyond the age of 14. One of the options we are presently exploring is to give special recognition to pupils studying a broad range of academic subjects, including English, maths, science, a modern or ancient language and a humanity, such as history or geography. Our proposals for an "English Baccalaureate" along these lines could provide schools and students with the incentive to follow the courses which best equip them to succeed, and help ensure that all young people have the chance to do a balanced range of GCSE subjects.

Languages: GCSE

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils were entered for a GCSE in a modern foreign language in 2009 in each local authority; and what proportion this represented of the total number of pupils entered for GCSEs in 2009 in each case.

Nick Gibb: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Pupils at the end of KS4 entered for mode rn foreign language GCSEs: year  2009. Coverage: Pupils in maintained schools (including academies and CTCs). Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas or those in hospital schools or PRUs- only entries in full GCSE courses are included 
			   Number of pupils at end KS4  Number of  pupils  entered for at entered for at least one MFL  % entered for at least one MFL 
			 England (maintained sector average across all LAs) 576,421 238,657 41 
			 
			  North East 30,670 10,159 33 
			 Darlington 1,188 390 33 
			 Durham 5,740 2,060 36 
			 Gateshead 2,160 929 43 
			 Hartlepool 1,244 320 26 
			 Middlesbrough 1,741 279 16 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 2,725 876 32 
			 North Tyneside 2,290 853 37 
			 Northumberland 3,800 1,284 34 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,914 434 23 
			 South Tyneside 1,913 518 27 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,430 947 39 
			 Sunderland 3,525 1,269 36 
			 
			  North West 83,352 32,397 39 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,803 469 26 
			 Blackpool 1,648 583 35 
			 Bolton 3,611 1,244 34 
			 Bury 2,221 1,228 55 
			 Cheshire East 4,013 1,741 43 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 3,979 1,631 41 
			 Cumbria 6,077 2,097 35 
			 Halton 1,542 418 27 
			 Knowsley 1,645 589 36 
			 Lancashire 13,657 5,756 42 
			 Liverpool 5,357 2,070 39 
			 Manchester 4,685 1,428 30 
			 Oldham 3,036 862 28 
			 Rochdale 2,612 778 30 
			 Salford 2,347 552 24 
			 Sefton 3,537 1,709 48 
			 St. Helens 2,156 714 33 
			 Stockport 3,041 1,392 46 
			 Tameside 2,994 1,049 35 
			 Trafford 2,895 1,677 58 
			 Warrington 2,570 1,013 39 
			 Wigan 3,929 1,588 40 
			 Wirral 3,997 1,809 45 
			 
			  Yorkshire and Humber 60,857 22,581 37 
			 Barnsley 2,642 717 27 
			 Bradford 5,876 2,174 37 
			 Calderdale 2,630 1,092 42 
			 Doncaster 3,681 846 23 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,015 1,793 45 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 2,914 787 27 
			 Kirklees 4,708 1,870 40 
			 Leeds 8,272 3,054 37 
			 North East Lincolnshire 1,955 661 34 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,030 738 36 
			 North Yorkshire 6,990 3,187 46 
			 Rotherham 3,676 1,112 30 
			 Sheffield 5,740 1,839 32 
			 Wakefield 4,014 1,739 43 
			 York 1,714 972 57 
			 
			  East Midlands 51,663 21,950 42 
			 Derby 2,862 1,203 42 
			 Derbyshire 8,909 3,471 39 
			 Leicester 3,496 1,628 47 
			 Leicestershire 7,391 3,520 48 
			 Lincolnshire 8,473 3,841 45 
			 Northamptonshire 8,027 3,487 43 
			 Nottingham 2,788 1,051 38 
			 Nottinghamshire 9,243- 3,491 38 
			 Rutland 474 258 54 
			 
			  West Midlands 64,883 24,246 37 
			 Birmingham 12,292 4,531 37 
			 Coventry 3,534 1,209 34 
			 Dudley 3,965 1,411 36 
			 Herefordshire 1,920 828 43 
			 Sandwell 3,615 692 19 
			 Shropshire 3,214 1,477 46 
			 Solihull 3,074 1,260 41 
			 Staffordshire 9,853 4,187 42 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 2,720 658 24 
			 Telford and Wrekin 2,115 740 35 
			 Walsall 3,710 986 27 
			 Warwickshire 5,942 2,484 42 
			 Wolverhampton 2,742 919 34 
			 Worcestershire 6,187 2,864 46 
			 
			  East of England 65,171 27,354 42 
			 Bedford 1,859 641 34 
			 Cambridgeshire 5,843 2,659 46 
			 Central Bedfordshire 2,867 1,054 37 
			 Essex 16,136 6,201 38 
			 Hertfordshire 13,000 7,015 54 
			 Luton 2,410 725 30 
			 Norfolk 8,922 3,483 39 
			 Peterborough 2,287 1,016 44 
			 Southend-on-Sea 2,203 894 41 
			 Suffolk 7,772 3,026 39 
			 Thurrock 1,872 640 34 
			 
			  London 73,721 35,798 49 
			  Inner London 22,960 10,577 46 
			 Camden 1,442 752 52 
			 Hackney 1,346 710 53 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,051 592 56 
			 Haringey 2,160 810 38 
			 Islington 1,414 605 43 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 569 323 57 
			 Lambeth 1,560 734 47 
			 Lewisham 2,136 779 36 
			 Newham 3,401 1,945 57 
			 Southwark 2,366 821 35 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,353 894 38 
			 Wandsworth 1,854 1,029 56 
			 Westminster 1,308 583 45 
			 
			  Outer London 50,761 25,221 50 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,044 513 25 
			 Barnet 3,236 1,927 60 
			 Bexley 3,187 1,363 43 
			 Brent 2,793 1,473 53 
			 Bromley 3,509 1,624 46 
			 Croydon 3,651 2,065 57 
			 Ealing 2,793 1,408 50 
			 Enfield 3,622 1,983 55 
			 Greenwich 2,415 797 33 
			 Harrow 2,155 1,088 50 
			 Havering 3,024 1,596 53 
			 Hillingdon 2,919 1,143 39 
			 Hounslow 2,542 1,601 63 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,487 951 64 
			 Merton 1,561 575 37 
			 Redbridge 3,241 1,726 53 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,407 719 51 
			 Sutton 2,595 1,551 60 
			 Waltham Forest 2,580 1,118 43 
			 
			  South East 89,497 39,634 44 
			 Bracknell Forest 1,112 464 42 
			 Brighton and Hove 2,289 955 42 
			 Buckinghamshire 5,584 2,848 51 
			 East Sussex 5,197 1,776 34 
			 Hampshire 14,084 6,550 47 
			 Isle of Wight 1,513 460 30 
			 Kent 16,698 6,619 40 
			 Medway 3,385 1,157 34 
			 Milton Keynes 2,642 1,148 43 
			 Oxfordshire 6,309 3,022 48 
			 Portsmouth 1,993 701 35 
			 Reading 958 407 42 
			 Slough 1,488 913 61 
			 Southampton 2,257 717 32 
			 Surrey 10,511 5,244 50 
			 West Berkshire 2,000 1,207 
			 West Sussex 8,230 3,832 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,542 783 51 
			 Wokingham 1,705 831 49 
			 
			  South West 56,607 24,538 43 
			 Isles of Scilly 15 4 27 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 2,172 1,099 51 
			 Bournemouth 1,780 666 37 
			 Bristol, City of 3,131 1,078 34 
			 Cornwall 5,987 2,033 34 
			 Devon 7,704 3,154 41 
			 Dorset 4,366 2,349 54 
			 Gloucestershire 6,882 3,325 48 
			 North Somerset 2,265 856 38 
			 Plymouth 2,966 1,474 50 
			 Poole 1,684 956 57 
			 Somerset 5,688 1,937 34 
			 South Gloucestershire 3,107 1,538 50 
			 Swindon 2,259 656 29 
			 Torbay 1,518 619 41 
			 Wiltshire 5,083 2,794 55

Primary Education

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on future priorities for primary education.

Nick Gibb: The Government's priorities for primary education are to: (1) improve the quality of teaching in primary schools, a first step has been to expand the Teach First programme into primary schools; (2) give teachers all the powers they need to tackle poor behaviour and restore discipline; (3) increase the autonomy of the primary school system, for example, by opening up the Academies programme to primary schools and supporting the establishment of new Free Primary Schools; (4) create a fairer funding system by introducing the Pupil Premium from 2011, which will provide additional funding for disadvantaged pupils, including those in primary schools, to ensure they benefit from the same opportunities as pupils from more advantaged families; (5) introduce a reformed National Curriculum, which will focus on the core knowledge which children need to acquire in traditional subject disciplines, while giving teachers greater freedom to decide how to teach, including by reducing bureaucracy and data burdens; and (6) ensure that teachers have a secure understanding of how to teach phonics given the importance of learning to read in the early years of primary school.

Primary Education: Sex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what information is provided to parents of children in primary schools on the content of sex education being taught in the school; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require the provision of further information for parents about the material being used to teach sex and relationships education in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Governing bodies currently have a statutory responsibility to ensure that schools have a sex education policy in place which as a minimum should provide information on how sex education will be provided, any sensitive issues that will be covered, and who will provide it. This must be made available to parents on request. Where primary schools have chosen not to provide sex education, they must still have a written policy statement to that effect.
	We believe that it is far better to encourage and reinforce the importance of regular and open communication between schools and parents through clear guidance, rather than through additional legislation. Many schools have good channels of communication with parents which help them understand what exactly is being taught in school-including in sex and relationships education (SRE)-and gives them an opportunity to comment on content and the manner in which that content will be presented. Schools may decide to amend their SRE programmes if a majority of parents are unhappy about their content.
	Ultimately, parents have the right to withdraw their children from SRE teaching, outside the national curriculum, if they are not happy with the school's approach.

Primary Education: Technology

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of teaching of technology education in primary schools.

Nick Gibb: In June 2008 Ofsted published 'Education for a technologically advanced nation', a report based on a three-year evaluation of design and technology in primary and secondary schools.
	The report found that
	"Achievement and progress were good in a third of the primary schools visited and satisfactory in the vast majority. Standards rose during the period of the survey(1)."
	The next Ofsted report on this subject is due in spring 2011.
	(1) Ofsted, 2008, Education for a technologically advanced nation in schools- Design and technology in schools 2004-07, p5

Primary Education: Technology

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of technology teaching to improving attainment levels among  (a) boys and  (b) girls.

Nick Gibb: In June 2008 Ofsted published 'Education for a technologically advanced nation', a report based on a three-year evaluation of design and technology in primary and secondary schools.
	The report found achievement and progress were good in two-thirds of the secondary schools and have improved steadily(1). Between the ages of 11 and 16, boys performed less well than girls. The report pointed out, however, that the highly performing departments where boys' attainment at GCSE is close to that for girls, had a number of features in common: performance is partly secured by excellent relationships and discipline, strong vigilance and tight coursework management; high degree of mutual courtesy in lessons and boys are made to feel as included in the activities, and are enabled to see their relevance, as well as the girls(2).
	The next Ofsted report is due in spring 2011.
	(1) Ofsted, 2008, Education for a technologically advanced nation in schools-Design and technology in schools 2004-07, p5
	(2) As above, p44

School Leaving: Northumberland

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he made of the number of students educated in  (a) Wansbeck constituency and  (b) Northumberland who left full-time education at the age of 16 years in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: Estimates of participation in education and training for 16 and 17-year-olds in each local authority in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. The full SFR can be found on the Department's website and data by local authority is contained in the fifth set of tables listed on this page:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000938/index.shtml
	These latest estimates show that approximately 3,000 young people of academic age 16 in Northumberland were in full-time education from a population of 4,000 at the end of 2008.
	The remaining approximately 1,000 young people left full-time education. Figures are not available by parliamentary constituency.

Schools: Admissions

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to bring forward proposals to give head-teachers more control over school admission policies.

Nick Gibb: Admissions policies are set and applied locally by admission authorities. For community and voluntary-controlled schools, this is one of the 152 local authorities in England. For foundation and voluntary-aided schools, this is the governing body of schools which set their own admissions policies. Academies are responsible for agreeing their own admission policies with the Secretary of State.
	The Secretary of State has indicated his intention to review the admissions framework and the School Admissions Code, with a view to making it simpler and fairer. However, we will maintain a strong and clear framework that continues to ensure fairness and transparency.

Schools: Offences against Children

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent research he has evaluated on the incidence of the experience of pupils of unwanted sexual contact at school; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 9 November 2010
	The Department for Education has not conducted any research to evaluate the incidence of the experience of pupils of unwanted sexual contact at school. There are currently no plans to undertake such research.
	Everyone shares responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, irrespective of their individual roles. Schools and FE colleges have a duty under s175 of the Education Act 2002 to carry out their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This includes being able to identify children and young people who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and taking appropriate action with the aim of making sure they are kept safe.

Schools: Sports

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department allocated to the School Sport Partnership Programme in the academic years  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Nick Gibb: The Department allocated funding to the School Sport Partnership network as follows:
	 (a) £115 million in 2009-10 and;
	 (b) £114 million in 2010-11.

Secondary Education: Kingston upon Thames

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of secondary school places required in North Kingston in 2015.

Nick Gibb: It is the responsibility of each local authority to manage the supply and demand for primary and secondary school places in their area and secure a place for every child of statutory school age who wants one. Ministers play no role in deciding primary and secondary school provision in individual authorities and constituencies but the Department provides capital funding to enable local authorities to provide sufficient school places.

Teachers: Training

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that teachers are provided with sufficient training and ongoing support to challenge all forms of violence against girls.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 4 November 2010
	The coalition Government are determined to put in place robust and effective measures to protect children and young people from harm, including violence.
	The Department for Education is contributing to the Home Office led, but cross government, ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG) strategy. Full details will be published next spring, including about the role of schools.

Teaching Methods

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library the report of his Department's evaluation of the  (a) Every Child a Reader and  (b) Every Child Counts programme for 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: All three Every Child programmes, Every Child a Reader, Every Child a Writer and Every Child Counts, are currently being independently evaluated. The evaluations will be completed in late 2010 or early 2011.
	The final reports for all three programmes will be made publicly available and copies will be placed in the Library at the Houses of Parliament.

Teaching Methods

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to improve the  (a) literacy and  (b) numeracy of the lowest achieving five per cent. of children aged between six and seven years; and what plans his Department has for the future of (i) Every Child a Reader and (ii) Every Child Counts programmes.

Nick Gibb: The Government are committed to raising standards of literacy and numeracy in schools, in order to equip every child with the basic skills they need to succeed throughout their education and later in life.
	We will therefore be strengthening the use of systematic synthetic phonics in teaching children to read. This will be backed up by a new age six reading test, which will allow teachers to identify and help those children who are struggling.
	For those children that fall behind in literacy and numeracy, the Government have committed to fund the Every Child suite with £89 million for 2010-11. We are currently working through proposals for intervention programmes beyond 2011 and will set out these proposals in the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

Teaching Methods

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department plans to allocate funding to schools participating in the  (a) Every Child a Reader and  (b) Every Child Counts schemes to enable them to continue these programmes after September 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: For those children that fall behind in literacy and numeracy, the Government have committed to fund the Every Child suite with £89 million for 2010-11. We are currently working through proposals for intervention programmes beyond 2011 and will set out these proposals in the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

Teaching Methods

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will ensure that his Department continues to provide support for teacher training and evaluation for the Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts programmes for the purposes of enabling schools to continue to access these programmes after 2011; and if he will allocate funding for  (a) the training of specialist teachers to deliver these programmes and  (b) the continuation of evaluation studies in respect of these programmes by the Institute of Education and Edge Hill University after 2011.

Nick Gibb: For those children that fall behind in literacy and numeracy, the Government have committed to fund the Every Child suite with £89 million for 2010-11.
	All three programmes are currently undergoing robust independent evaluations, to report in late 2010-early 2011, which will give a substantive view of the impact of the programmes.
	We are currently working through proposals for literacy and numeracy intervention beyond September 2011, which is subject to final decisions following the spending review, and will set out these proposals in the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to answer question 21041, tabled on 27 October, on children without school places; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: A response was sent to the hon. Member on 16 November 2010,  Official Report, column 756W.

JUSTICE

Approved Premises

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons resident in approved premises in England and Wales there were on the most recent date for which information is available.

Crispin Blunt: According to the most up to date available monthly management information provided by all approved premises, the number of residents in approved premises on 30 September 2010 was 1,882.

Approved Premises: Offenders

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people resident in approved premises in England and Wales are  (a) sex offenders,  (b) violent offenders and  (c) former convicted terrorists.

Crispin Blunt: The number of sex offenders and violent offenders accommodated in approved premises in England and Wales will vary from time to time. Statistical information about the offending history of most offenders residing in approved premises at any one time is not collected centrally, although offenders' assessed level of risk of harm at the point of admission is.
	As of the end of September 2010, there were 12 offenders residing in APs who had been convicted for Terrorist Act offences or terrorist-related offences. This information has been obtained from the specialist team within the National Offender Management Service who have responsibility for monitoring the whereabouts of convicted terrorists and terrorist-related offenders.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and its predecessors and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice currently has no formal contracts for postal services with either Post Office Ltd or Royal Mail. However, it has a number of local agreements for fixed and variable services i.e. timed delivery, collections, business response, diversions etc.
	We are due to start further competition against the new Buying Solutions Postal Services Framework RM782 which was recently awarded following the delay after the general election outcome and Efficiency Reform Group findings. We had originally planned to have this in place in January 2010.
	The Ministry of Justice have identified that out of the 14 Lots within the new Postal Services Framework, Royal Mail are listed in 13 and would be involved in the further competition on the services it can provide through its network.
	It is expected that we will have formal contract(s) in place by April 2011 with the successful bidder(s).

HM Inspectorate of Prisons: Public Appointments

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what criteria Nick Hardwick was appointed Chief Inspector of Prisons; and who the other candidates were for that post.

Crispin Blunt: Mr Hardwick was selected as a result of an open recruitment process. All applications for the post were assessed against criteria in the person specification shown. We consider that it would be a clear breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 to disclose the names of the other candidates without their consent.
	 Person Specification :
	The post holder is not expected to have a background within the criminal justice or immigration systems, but will have an appreciation of the issues affecting these areas, and be able to demonstrate strong performance across the range of competencies set out as follows.
	 Core competencies :
	Candidates will be able to demonstrate:
	 Leadership and Performance
	Proven ability to lead effectively a multi-disciplinary team, including experienced professional staff.
	Ability to develop and maintain demonstrable and perceived independence from the inspected agencies.
	 Stakeholder Management
	The ability to establish credibility with the public, Ministers and other stakeholders.
	Authority and influence at very senior levels across a broad range of stakeholders and delivery partners.
	Highly developed inter-personal skills and the willingness to work collaboratively with others, with the ability to feel at ease with prisoners, prison staff, senior managers in the criminal justice system and their counterparts in other areas inspected.
	 Strategic Thinking and Judg ment
	An ability to process and interpret complex information and to offer well-developed analytical reasoning skills and judgment based on evidence.
	The ability to provide impartial, objective and pragmatic advice with excellent judgment in both operational and political matters.
	High integrity and a genuine commitment to helping raise standards within prisons, immigration detention and other places of custody and to furthering the contribution prisons can make to reducing re-offending.
	An incisive and independent mind and highly developed analytical skills.
	Excellent judgment in both operational and political matters.
	 Communication
	Excellent communication skills and proven ability to handle the media.
	Experience of formulating and presenting technical advice and reports to others at senior levels.

HM Land Registry

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the address is of each property  (a) leased and  (b) owned by his Department or its agents for use by HM Land Registry; and what the annual rental costs associated with each such property were in each of the last three years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information requested is as follows:
	 Freehold :
	 Administrative Head Office
	32, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PH
	(Surplus to requirements, currently being disposed of)
	 Birkenhead Office-Rosebrae Court
	Woodside Ferry Approach, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 6DU
	 Croydon Office-Trafalgar House
	1 Bedford Park, Croydon, CRO 2AQ
	 Durham Office-Southfield Hous e
	Southfield Way, Durham, DH1 5TR
	 Fylde Office-Wrea Brook Court
	Lytham Road, Warton, Lancashire, PR4 1TE
	 Leicester Office-Westbridge Place
	Leicester, LE3 5DR
	 Leicester Office Day Nursery
	St Oswald's Road, Leicester LE3 6RJ
	 Nottingham Office-Chalfont Drive
	Nottingham, NG8 3RN
	 Plymouth Office-Plumer House
	Tailyour Road, Crownhill, Plymouth, PL6 5HY
	(Surplus to requirements, currently being disposed of)
	 Plymouth Office (Information Systems)-Seaton Court
	2 William Prance Road, Plymouth, PL6 5WS
	 Portsmouth Office-St Andrew's Court
	St Michael's Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2JH
	(Surplus to requirements, currently being disposed of)
	 Stevenage Office-Brickdale House
	Swingate, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 1XG
	(Surplus to requirements, currently being disposed of)
	 Swansea Office-Ty-Bryn-Glas
	High Street, Swansea SA1 1 PW
	(Vacated and on the market for sale)
	 Telford Office-Parkside Court
	Hall Park Way, Telford, TF3 4LR
	 Tunbridge Wells Office-Forest Court
	Forest Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5AQ
	(Being vacated) (Surplus to requirements, currently being disposed of)
	 RFS( 1) Plymouth-Drakes Hill Court
	 RFS Wales-Manstleton (Cwmbrla)
	
		
			  Leasehold 
			   £ 
			  Coventry Office  
			 Leigh Court, Torrington Avenue, Tile Hill, Coventry, CV4 9XZ  
			 Rent 2007-08 82.00 
			 Rent 2008-09 82.00 
			 Rent 2009-10 82.00 
			   
			  Gloucester Office  
			 Twyver House, Bruton Way, Gloucester, GL1 1DQ  
			 Rent 2007-08 705,000 
			 Rent 2008-09 705,000 
			 Rent 2009-10 705,000 
			   
			  Gloucester-Gladiator House  
			 Gloucester Business Park, Data Centre (Building)  
			 Rent 2007-08 0 
			 Rent 2008-09 0 
			 Rent 2009-10 0 
			   
			  Gloucester-Gladiator House  
			 Gloucester Business Park (car park)  
			 Rent 2007-08 0 
			 Rent 2008-09 0 
			 Rent 2009-10 0 
			   
			  Kingston upon Hull Office-Earle House  
			 Colonial Street, Hull, HU2 8JN  
			 Rent 2007-08 47,400 
			 Rent 2008-09 47,400 
			 Rent 2009-10 47,400 
			   
			  London-Southampton Row  
			 (Independent complaints reviewer)  
			 Rent 2007-08 31,763.76 
			 Rent 2008-09 31,763.76 
			 Rent 2009-10 31,087.95 
			   
			  Peterborough Office( 2) -Touthill Close  
			 City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1XN  
			 Rent 2007-08 940,000 
			 Rent 2008-09 940,000 
			 Rent 2009-10 939,780 
			   
			  Peterborough Office( 2) -Touthill Close  
			 City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1XN (Bst and first)  
			 Rent 2007-08 246,750 
			 Rent 2008-09 246,750 
			 Rent 2009-10 241,500 
			   
			  Plymouth RFS 11  
			 Information Systems-Eagle House-Data Centre  
			 Rent 2007-08 133,950 
			 Rent 2008-09 133,950 
			 Rent 2009-10 140,323 
			   
			  Plymouth-Information Systems  
			 Holland House-Data Centre  
			 Rent 2007-08 98,406.25 
			 Rent 2008-09 98,406.25 
			 Rent 2009-10 100,533.12 
			   
			  Telford-Kelsall House  
			 Whole building sublet  
			 Rent 2007-08 261,519.72 
			 Rent 2008-09 261,519.72 
			 Rent 2009-10 255,955.50 
			   
			  Wales Office-Ty Cwm Tawe  
			 Phoenix Way, Llansamlet, Swansea, SA7 9FQ  
			 Rent 2007-08 0 
			 Rent 2008-09 0 
			 Rent 2009-10 0 
			   
			  Weymouth Office-Melcombe Court  
			 1 Cumberland Drive, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 9TT  
			 Rent 2007-08 0 
			 Rent 2008-09 0 
			 Rent 2009-10 0 
			   
			  RFS Weymouth 7 and 9 Cumberland Drive  
			 Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 9TT(3)  
			 Rent 2007-08 61,600 
			 Rent 2008-09 61,600 
			 Rent 2009-10 61,600 
			   
			  York-James House( 3)  
			 Rent 2007-08 528,750 
			 Rent 2008-09 528,750 
			 Rent 2009-10 517,500 
			   
			  Portsmouth-Wiltshire street car park  
			 Rent 2007-08 (4)- 
			 Rent 2008-09 (4)- 
			 Rent 2009-10 (4)- 
			   
			  RFS 8-Appin Way  
			 Birkenhead  
			 Rent 2007-08 39,480 
			 Rent 2008-09 39,480 
			 Rent 2009-10 45,292.75 
			   
			  RFS 3 Durham  
			 Unit 3  
			 Rent 2007-08 60,377.36 
			 Rent 2008-09 60,377.36 
			 Rent 2009-10 59,092.75 
			   
			  RFS 5 Durham  
			 Unit 4  
			 Rent 2007-08 43,005 
			 Rent 2008-09 43,005 
			 Rent 2009-10 42,090 
			   
			  RFS 12 Durham Enterprise City  
			 Unit B Spennymoor  
			 Rent 2007-08 113,387.52 
			 Rent 2008-09 113,387.52 
			 Rent 2009-10 110,975.00 
			   
			  RFS 12 Durham Enterprise City  
			 Unit C Spennymoor  
			 Rent 2007-08 111,560.36 
			 Rent 2008-09 111,560.36 
			 Rent 2009-10 109,186.75 
			   
			  RFS 9 East Goscote  
			 Leicester  
			 Rent 2007-08 56,047.52 
			 Rent 2008-09 56,047.52 
			 Rent 2009-10 54,855.00 
			   
			  RFS 6 Units 3, 4 and 4a Pintail Close  
			 Nottingham  
			 Rent 2007-08 75,200 
			 Rent 2008-09 75,200 
			 Rent 2009-10 73,600 
			   
			  RFS 1 Telford, Pensnett  
			 Rent 2007-08 126,018.75 
			 Rent 2008-09 126,018.75 
			 Rent 2009-10 135,125.00 
			   
			  RFS 2 Telford  
			 Units A1-A3 Stafford Park  
			 Rent 2007-08 56,987.52 
			 Rent 2008-09 56,987.52 
			 Rent 2009-10 57,500 
			   
			  RFS 2 Telford  
			 Units A4-A7 Stafford Park  
			 Rent 2007-08 75,787.52 
			 Rent 2008-09 75,787.52 
			 Rent 2009-10 75,900 
			 (1) RFS refers to regional file store-these are currently being reviewed with the potential for outsourcing by mid 2011. (2) Two separate leases. (3) Surplus to requirements, currently being disposed of. (4) £ peppercorn-not demanded  Note: Rent figures are annual with inclusive VAT (where applicable).

Legal Aid

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish immediately the equality impact assessment made in respect of the changes to the legal aid system announced on 15 November.

Jonathan Djanogly: On 15 November the Justice Secretary announced the publication of a consultation on a package of proposals for the reform of legal aid. Equality impact assessments are published alongside the consultation document on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/legal-aid-reform-151110.htm

Legal Aid

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received  (a) criminal and  (b) civil legal aid in England and Wales in 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 18 October 2010,  Official Report, column 538W.

Legal Aid: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total cost was of  (a) criminal and  (b) civil legal aid in England and Wales in 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 18 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 534-535W.

Legal Aid: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to ensure that those with a low income have access to the legal system; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: On 15 November the Justice Secretary announced the start of a consultation on a package of proposals for the reform of legal aid. The proposals set out clear choices to ensure access to public funding in those cases that really require it, the protection of the most vulnerable in society and the efficient performance of the justice system.
	Proposals relating to changes to the types of civil and family proceedings for which legal aid should be available reflect the Government's commitment to ensuring that legal aid is available to those who need it most and for the most serious cases. In developing these proposals, we have taken into account the availability of alternative sources of funding and the availability of alternative routes to resolving the issue, as well as the importance of the issue in question, the individual's ability to present their own case, and our domestic and international legal obligations.
	In relation to proposals for changes to the financial eligibility rules for civil and family legal aid, we want to ensure that those who can either pay for or contribute towards their legal costs, should do so, so that we ensure continued access to public funding in those cases that really require it for those who have little or no funds of their own.
	We do not propose to make changes to the scope of, or financial eligibility for, criminal legal aid.

Legal Aid: Social Security Benefits

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to provide support for those involved in welfare benefit disputes after the removal of legal aid; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: At present in welfare benefit cases legal aid is only available for advice and assistance, not for legal representation. In most cases individuals will be able to prepare their appeal to the First-tier (Social Security and Child Support) Tribunal without formal legal assistance. The appellant is required only to provide reasons for disagreeing with the decision in plain language. For those who need assistance on a welfare benefits matter, there is advice and assistance available from the voluntary sector as well as, for example, the Benefits Enquiry Line.

Ministerial Correspondence Unit: Personnel

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff are employed in the Ministerial Correspondence Unit of his Department.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministerial Correspondence Unit comprises of 11 members of staff. It has responsibility for managing correspondence received by Ministers or the Department from Members, Peers, prominent individuals and organisations and the public.

Offenders: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders recalled to prison in the West Midlands area have returned to prison in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: During the latest period 1 April to 30 June 2010, 244 offenders were recalled by the West Midlands area and returned to custody by 30 September 2010.

Office of the Public Guardian

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the address is of each property  (a) leased and  (b) owned by his Department or its agents for use by the Office of the Public Guardian; and what the annual rental costs associated with each such property were in each of the last three years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Office of the Public Guardian currently operates from three leasehold buildings, the addresses of which and associated rental costs over the last three years are as follows:
	Office of the Public Guardian
	Archway Tower
	2 Junction Road
	London
	N19 5SZ
	
		
			   Rental costs (£) 
			 2007-08 (1)913,000 
			  (2)789,745 
			 2008-09 (1)913,000 
			  (2)789,745 
			 2009-10 (1)893,000 
			  (2)537,586 
			 (1 )Figures represent total rental cost of the building paid by OPG.  (2 )Figures represent proportion of OPG annual rental contribution after charge back to other Government tenants. 
		
	
	Office of the Public Guardian
	54 Hagley Road
	Birmingham
	B16 8PE
	
		
			   Rental costs (£) 
			 2007-08 n/a 
			 2008-09 n/a 
			 2009-10 174,000 
		
	
	Office of the Public Guardian
	3 rd Floor, the Pearson Building
	57 Upper Parliament Street
	Nottingham
	NG1 6AZ
	
		
			   Rental costs (£) 
			 2007-08 n/a 
			 2008-09 n/a 
			 2009-10 (1)n/a 
			 (1 )Rent charged from 1 April 2010 at £510,000 per annum.

Prison Accommodation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he intends to announce his plans to announce the future of each prison establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The Government are developing proposals to improve the rehabilitation of offenders which will be published in a Green Paper. By the end of the spending review period these proposals are projected to reduce the prison population by 3,000. We will always ensure there are sufficient prison places for offenders sentenced to custody by courts. However, we are reviewing prison capacity to ensure that it is provided in the most economic way.
	No decisions have been made about the future of individual prisons. If proposals are developed to significantly change the role, function or capacity of a prison I will write to the relevant Member of Parliament.

Prison Service: Dorset

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding was allocated to the Prison Service in Dorset in 2009-10; and how much funding will be allocated in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Crispin Blunt: The four Dorset prisons were allocated £46,931,000 funding in 2009-10 and £43,692,000 funding in 2010-11 from the Ministry of Justice. The budget for 2011-12 has not yet been set.

Prisoners on Remand

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many remand prisoners there were in prisons in England and Wales on  (a) 30 April and  (b) 7 May 2010; and how many of those had applied for a postal or proxy vote.

Crispin Blunt: On 30 April and 7 May 2010 respectively, there were 12,814 and 12,823 remand prisoners in prisons in England and Wales.
	Prisoners' applications for postal or proxy votes are a private matter between them and the Electoral Registration Officer. The National Offender Management Service does not have any record of how many prisoners applied for postal or proxy votes.

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice at what point in a sentence a prisoner's case for day release is considered; and on what criteria such cases are determined.

Crispin Blunt: Prisoners must be assessed as both eligible and suitable before release on temporary licence (ROTL) is permitted. The criteria for each test are detailed in Prison Service Order 6300, which may be accessed via:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/psispsos/listpsos/
	Briefly, certain prisoners are ineligible for any form of ROTL; for example, those given the highest security categorisation (category A). Those afforded the next highest category (B) are eligible for ROTL for a special purpose, such as a funeral, but not for resettlement day release (RDR). Eligible prisoners may be considered for RDR either two years before their conditional release or parole eligibility date, or once they have served half the custodial period less half the relevant remand time, whichever gives the later date.
	ROTL will not be granted unless the purpose of the leave is one that contributes directly to the prisoner's resettlement into the community or, exceptionally, it is required to enable them to deal responsibly with unexpected family and personal events. The prisoner must additionally pass a rigorous risk assessment taking into account the risks of harm, re-offending and absconding, and the impact of the particular release upon both the victim and public confidence in the administration of justice.

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many crimes were committed by prisoners on day release in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: Time spent on release on temporary licence affords prisoners the opportunity to find work, re-establish family ties, reintegrate into the community and ensure housing needs are met. For long-term prisoners these are essential components for successful resettlement. The most recent published statistics(1 )show that in the three year period between 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2009 there were 1,300,161 temporary release licences issued to prisoners. In this same period there were 785 failures of licence (less than one tenth of one per cent failure rate).
	(1) The attention of the House is drawn to the bulletin, Offender Management Caseload Statistics, 2009, which was published on 22 July 2010. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of this House and other places. I hope that this will provide additional context to the statistics supplied in the answer. Offender Management Caseload Statistics, tables 9.7 and 9.12 available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/omcs-2009-complete-210710a.pdf
	To provide the information requested on crimes committed while on temporary release would involve the manual examination of all 785 individual records which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of his Department's average annual expenditure on rehabilitation in respect of foreign national prisoners.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service delivers a broad range of activities to address the risks and needs of all offenders. An estimate of expenditure in respect of an individual offender or a particular group of offenders could only be obtained at disproportionate cost by analysing information held on local financial or data systems and offender files, validating the information, and then collating it in a common format.

Prisoners: Offences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether sentencing guidelines include provision for an offence committed by a person on day release from prison to be considered an aggravating factor during sentencing.

Crispin Blunt: The Sentencing Guidelines Council issued a Guideline on Overarching Principles of Sentencing: Seriousness in 2004. This includes advice to judges and magistrates that it should be an aggravating factor that an offence was committed whilst the offender was on licence, or while on bail. The Guideline does not distinguish between the types of licence to which offenders may be subject.

Prisons: Personnel

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prison officer 2 staff have been employed by the Prison Service in each month since September 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many prison officer 2 staff are employed by the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many prison officer 2 staff have been appointed at each prison since the introduction of the grade by the Prison Service; how many such staff were employed at each prison in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the turnover rate for prison officer 2 staff of the Prison Service was in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of prison officer 2s in post at the end of each month from September 2009 to 30 June 2010 (the date of the latest published staffing information) is contained in the following table. On 30 June 2010 there were 413 prison officer 2s in post.
	
		
			  Prison officer 2s in post, 30 September 2009 to 30 June 2010 
			  Date  Prison officer 2s 
			  2009  
			 30 September 0 
			 31 October 0 
			 30 November 111 
			 31 December 114 
			   
			  2010  
			 31 January 177 
			 28 February 211 
			 31 March 245 
			 30 April 301 
			 31 May 10 338 
			 30 June 10 413 
		
	
	Information on the number of prison officer 2s appointed to each Prison Service establishment and the number in post on 30 June 2010 is contained in the following table. The officers appointed include directly recruited staff and staff who converted from other Prison Service grades.
	
		
			  Prison officer 2s appointed-September 2009 to June 2010 
			   Prison officer 2s 
			  Establishment  Total appointed( 1)  Total in post 30 June 2010 
			 Acklington - - 
			 Ashwell 1 - 
			 Askham Grange - - 
			 Aylesbury - - 
			 Bedford 6 6 
			 Belmarsh - - 
			 Birmingham - - 
			 Blantyre House - - 
			 Blundeston - - 
			 Brinsford - - 
			 Bristol 10 9 
			 Brixton 1 1 
			 Buckley Hall - - 
			 Bullingdon - - 
			 Bullwood Hall - - 
			 Bure 30 30 
			 Canterbury - - 
			 Cardiff - - 
			 Castington - - 
			 Channings Wood - - 
			 Chelmsford 1 1 
			 Coldingley - - 
			 Cookham Wood - - 
			 Dartmoor - - 
			 Deerbolt - - 
			 Dorchester - - 
			 Dover - - 
			 Downview - - 
			 Drake Hall - - 
			 Durham - - 
			 East Sutton Park - - 
			 Eastwood Park - - 
			 Edmunds Hill - - 
			 Erlestoke - - 
			 Everthorpe - - 
			 Exeter - - 
			 Featherstone - - 
			 Feltham 7 7 
			 Ford - - 
			 Foston Hall 2 2 
			 Frankland 5 5 
			 Full Sutton - - 
			 Garth - - 
			 Gartree 2 2 
			 Glen Parva 5 5 
			 Gloucester - - 
			 Grendon - - 
			 Guys Marsh - - 
			 Haslar - - 
			 Haverigg - - 
			 Hewell 4 4 
			 High Down - - 
			 Highpoint - - 
			 Hindley 3 3 
			 Hollesley Bay - - 
			 Holloway 2 2 
			 Holme House 6 6 
			 Hull - - 
			 Huntercombe 1 1 
			 Isis 50 50 
			 Isle of Wight - - 
			 Kennet - - 
			 Kingston - - 
			 Kirkham - - 
			 Kirklevington Grange - - 
			 Lancaster - - 
			 Lancaster Farms - - 
			 Latchmere House - - 
			 Leeds - - 
			 Leicester 3 3 
			 Lewes - - 
			 Leyhill - - 
			 Lincoln 1 1 
			 Lindholme - - 
			 Littlehey 74 71 
			 Liverpool - - 
			 Long Lartin - - 
			 Low Newton - - 
			 Maidstone - - 
			 Manchester - - 
			 Moorland - - 
			 Morton Hall - - 
			 New Hall - - 
			 North Sea Camp - - 
			 Northallerton 1 1 
			 Norwich 6 6 
			 Nottingham 42 39 
			 Onley 1 1 
			 Pentonville 7 7 
			 Portland - - 
			 Preston - - 
			 Ranby - - 
			 Reading 2 2 
			 Risley - - 
			 Rochester 2 2 
			 Send - - 
			 Sheppey Cluster 89 82 
			 Shepton Mallet - - 
			 Shrewsbury - - 
			 Stafford - - 
			 Stocken 5 5 
			 Stoke Heath 11 11 
			 Styal - - 
			 Sudbury - - 
			 Swansea - - 
			 Swinfen Hall 2 1 
			 The Mount - - 
			 The Verne - - 
			 Thorn Cross - - 
			 Usk/Prescoed - - 
			 Wakefield - - 
			 Wandsworth 2 2 
			 Warren Hill 1 1 
			 Wayland 4 4 
			 Wealstun 26 25 
			 Wellingborough 1 1 
			 Werrington - - 
			 Wetherby 9 9 
			 Whatton 2 2 
			 Whitemoor - - 
			 Winchester - - 
			 Woodhill 1 1 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 2 2 
			 Wymott - - 
			 Total 430 413 
			 (1) Includes directly recruited staff and staff converted from other grades A total of 430 prison officer 2s have been appointed and 413 remained in post at 30 June 2010. By examining individual service lengths of these staff leads to an annual turnover rate of 12.6 percent. Leaving rates are historically always highest in the first few months of service.

Prisons: Personnel

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many staff of each grade were employed at  (a) HM Prison Service Headquarters,  (b) each area office and  (c) each non-prison establishment operated by the Prison Service on 31 March in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which grades of staff are classified by HM Prison Service as front line staff; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many staff of each grade are employed by HM Prison Service in  (a) prison establishments,  (b) Prison Service headquarters and  (c) each other Prison Service operated (i) service and (ii) areas on the latest date for which figures are available.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the number of staff employed at Prison Service or National Offender Management Service headquarters, area offices or Director of Offender Management offices and other non-prison establishments on 31 March in each year since 2006 is contained in tables placed in the libraries of the House. A table is also included that provides staff numbers for 30 June 2010 (the date of the most recent published staffing data) which also includes figures for the number of staff in Prison Service establishments. Each of these tables breaks down the staff numbers by grade. Non-prison establishments are taken to be units where no prisoners are held and include regional based support teams and central services associated with prison clusters. Over the period being asked about certain staff who previously worked in establishments have been redesignated as headquarters staff. Direct comparisons over the period are therefore not straightforward.
	The Prison Service does not define front-line posts in terms of particular grades. All staff working within Prison Service establishments deliver frontline services and these could occupy the range of grades specified in the tables.

Prisons: Recruitment

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people have passed the Prison Service recruitment assessment day to become a Prison Officer 2 since January 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many of those who have passed the Prison Service recruitment assessment day to become a Prison Officer 2 since January 2010 subsequently failed the Service's pre-employment checks; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many Prison Officer 2 staff have been employed by the Prison Service since September 2009; how many such staff remain in employment with the service as a Prison Officer 2; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: The number of people who have passed the Prison Service recruitment assessment day to become a prison officer 2 between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2010 (the date of the latest published staffing information) is 522. Of these, 32 failed pre-employment checks.
	Between 1 September 2009 and 30 June 2010, a total of 430 staff took up post as prison officer 2s. Of these, 413 remained in that grade on 30 June 2010.

Prisons: Visits

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what arrangements are made for prisoners at HM Prison Chelmsford to be advised of  (a) visits by prison visitors and  (b) procedures for requesting a meeting with a prison visitor.

Crispin Blunt: It is assumed the hon. Member is referring to visits to prisoners by official prison visitors (OPV). Prisoners who require such a visit make an application to the Chaplaincy who will facilitate any request. The scheme is advertised around the establishment on posters and is also advertised locally by the Chaplaincy department.

Prisons: Visits

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates prison visitors visited HMP Chelmsford in  (a) August,  (b) September and  (c) October 2010; how many prison visitors participated in each visit; and how many prisoners were spoken to on each visit.

Crispin Blunt: It is assumed the hon. Member is referring to visits to prisoners by official prison visitors (OPVs).
	There have been no such visits in the period 1 August to 31 October 2010.

Probation Service: Dorset

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding was allocated to the probation service in Dorset in 2009-10; and how much funding will be allocated in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Crispin Blunt: The probation service in Dorset was allocated £9,200,000 funding in 2009-10 and £8,871,876 funding in 2010-11 from the Ministry of Justice. The budget for 2011-12 has not yet been set.

Probation Service: Employment

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people were employed by  (a) Durham and  (b) Teesside probation areas on 31 December 2009;
	(2)  how many people were employed by Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust on 30 June 2010.  [Official Report, 13 December 2010, Vol. 520, c. 4MC.]

Crispin Blunt: The total staff in post for Durham Probation Area on 31 December 2009 was 268.65 FTE (full-time equivalent), and for Teesside Probation Area this was 292.06 FTE.
	The total staff in post in Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust on 30 June 2010 was 572.27 FTE (full-time equivalent).

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serious injuries sustained during the use of restraint procedures required hospital treatment for  (a) boys and  (b) girls in each secure training centre in each month since April 2008.

Crispin Blunt: There were no serious injuries sustained during the use of restraint procedures requiring hospital treatment in any month in 2008-09 in secure training centres. Data for injuries are not available by gender.
	The 2009-10 figures will be available once the 2009-10 Youth Justice Board annual workload data are released. Hence only figures for 2008-09 have been looked at.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times restraint procedures were used on  (a) boys and  (b) girls in each secure training centre in each month since April 2008.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of restraints used on  (a) boys and  (b) girls in each secure training centre for each month in 2008-09.
	
		
			  Number of restraints 
			   2008  2009 
			   Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar 
			  Male 
			 Hassockfield 20 26 29 39 47 17 27 34 34 14 46 51 
			 Medway 54 19 32 30 14 13 32 16 15 9 36 58 
			 Oakhill 35 9 23 47 28 27 28 15 30 40 23 24 
			 Rainsbrook 12 8 16 9 13 5 14 16 9 14 6 11 
			  
			  Female 
			 Hassockfield 15 12 7 15 3 23 15 0 14 19 16 20 
			 Medway 4 7 7 15 16 21 9 5 11 4 7 13 
			 Oakhill 26 13 8 24 21 7 10 8 1 5 3 4 
			 Rainsbrook 15 16 14 12 25 39 24 13 28 38 8 9 
			  Notes: 1. The 2009-10 figures will be available once the 2009-10 Youth Justice Board annual workload data are released. Hence only figures for 2008-09 are given. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many serious injuries requiring hospital treatment were sustained during use of control and restraint procedures in each young offender institute juvenile unit in each month since April 2008.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of serious injuries sustained during the use of control and restraint procedures in each month in 2008-09 in young offender institutions.
	
		
			   2008  2009 
			   Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar 
			 Ashfield - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Brinsford - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Castington - - - - - 1 1 - - - - - 
			 Cookham Wood - - - - - - - - - 1 - - 
			 Downview - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Eastwood Park - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Feltham - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Foston Hall - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Hindley - - - - - - - - - - 1 - 
			 Huntercombe - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Lancaster Farms - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 New Hall - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Parc - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Stoke Heath - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Thorn Cross - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Warren Hill - - - - - - 1 - - - - - 
			 Werrington - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Wetherby - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			  Notes: 1. The 2009-10 figures will be available once the 2009-10 Youth Justice Board annual workload data are released. Hence only figures for 2008/2009 are given. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. 3. Cookham Wood YOI opened in May 2008. 4. Lancaster Farms closed in February 2009.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many minor injuries resulted from the use of control and restraint procedures in each young offender institute juvenile unit in each month since April 2008.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of minor injuries sustained during the use of control and restraint procedures in each month in 2008-09 in young offender institutions.
	
		
			   2008  2009 
			   April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December  January  February  March 
			 Ashfield - 1 1 - - - - - - - - - 
			 Brinsford - - - - - - - 1 - - - - 
			 Castington - - 1 - 1 - - - - - - - 
			 Cookham Wood(1) - - 2 2 - - - - - - - - 
			 Downview - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Eastwood Park - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Feltham - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Foston Hall - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Hindley 6 1 3 - 1 - 4 - - 5 1 15 
			 Huntercombe 6 - - 2 6 11 7 1 3 1 2 1 
			 Lancaster Farms(2) - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 New Hall - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Parc - - - 1 - 2 - - - - - - 
			 Stoke Heath - - - 2 - - - - - - - - 
			 Thorn Cross - - - - - - - - - - - - 
			 Warren Hill - - 3 5 3 2 1 4 2 5 5 3 
			 Werrington - - - - - - - 1 - - - - 
			 Wetherby 4 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 1 1 - 1 
			 (1) Cookham Wood YOI opened in May 2008. (2) Lancaster Farms closed in February 2009.  Notes: 1. The 2009-10 figures will be available once the 2009-10 Youth Justice Board Annual Workload Data is released. Hence only figures for 2008-09 are given. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times control and restraint procedures have been used on girls in each young offender institute juvenile unit in each month since April 2008.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of restraints used on females in each young offenders institution in each month in 2008-09.
	
		
			   2008  2009 
			   April  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December  January  February  March 
			 Downview 1 2 2 12 10 5 4 - 1 - - - 
			 Eastwood Park 3 1 5 5 - - 3 2 - 1 8 1 
			 Foston Hall 3 8 8 3 1 2 - 2 3 - 3 - 
			 New Hall 6 8 8 8 10 7 22 8 7 1 3 7 
			  Notes: 1. The 2009-10 figures will be available once the 2009-10 Youth Justice Board Annual Workload Data is released. Hence only figures for 2008-09 are given. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions control and restraint procedures have been used on boys in each young offender institution juvenile unit in each month since April 2008.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of restraints used on males in each young offenders institution in each month in 2008-09.
	
		
			   2008  2009 
			   April  June  July  August  September  October  November  December  January  February  March  April 
			 Ashfield 45 53 74 41 51 53 43 50 36 46 25 39 
			 Brinsford 13 5 5 6 5 5 11 12 20 4 4 10 
			 Castington 25 17 15 15 21 16 25 27 11 17 18 18 
			 Cookham Wood(1) 0 1 35 39 26 10 13 19 27 30 55 71 
			 Feltham 38 31 50 41 22 64 44 34 13 41 48 64 
			 Hindley 26 34 48 28 32 39 26 25 26 31 24 39 
			 Huntercombe 49 43 43 43 29 46 41 43 32 41 33 21 
			 Lancaster Farms(2) 34 41 33 35 26 19 22 21 23 4 0 0 
			 Parc 10 24 9 6 13 6 11 11 7 6 8 7 
			 Stoke Heath 11 9 9 11 15 19 9 22 13 6 10 6 
			 Warren Hill 19 22 25 29 19 38 37 38 22 25 25 27 
			 Werrington 25 37 56 36 28 47 30 20 16 18 17 18 
			 Wetherby 30 39 11 28 27 27 34 40 32 23 26 39 
			 (1) Cookham Wood YOI opened in May 2008. (2) Lancaster Farms closed in February 2009.  Notes: 1. The 2009-10 figures will be available once the 2009-10 Youth Justice Board Annual Workload Data is released. Hence only figures for 2008-09 are given. 2. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2010,  Official Report, column 237W, on sentencing, what has happened to the remaining 90 people who had been given or were awaiting another disposal.

Crispin Blunt: Set out is a breakdown of the 90 offenders who were not given an immediate or suspended custodial sentence following revocation:
	40 were sentenced to a new IAC
	40 were sentenced to a community order
	Two were fined
	One received a conditional discharge
	One was given a curfew
	One order was incorrectly reported as revoked when it actually continued with additional requirements attached
	One order was incorrectly reported as 'other' when it was a suspended sentence.
	Of the four offenders who were pending sentence at the time:
	One received a suspended sentence order
	Two received custody
	One was issued with a warrant without bail

Sexual Offences: Sentencing

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many sex offenders have been subject to an indeterminate public protection sentence since 2003; and how many of those have since been released from custody.

Crispin Blunt: The number of persons given an indeterminate sentence (known as imprisonment for public protection (IPP)) for sexual offences in England and Wales, 2005 to 2009 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Data for 2003 and 2004 are unavailable as IPPs came into force on 4 April 2005.
	Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.
	As at 17 November 2010, 26 offenders serving an IPP sentence for sexual offences have been released from custody, five of whom were subsequently recalled. This figure does not include offenders who have been subject to deportation and excludes eight IPP offenders where we are currently waiting for updated information.
	It also excludes offenders issued with an IPP who may have had their sentence quashed or reduced on appeal, and therefore is only subset of the figures quoted in the table.
	The figures on releases were taken from the Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD) in the National Offender Management Service, and, as with any large scale recording system, it is subject to possible errors arising from either data entry or processing. The PPUD is a live database, updated on a regular basis. As a result, snapshots taken in consecutive days will contain differences reflecting updates.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced to imprisonment for public protection (IPP)( 1) , for sexual offences, 2005 to 2009( 2,3,4) 
			  Offence group  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Sexual offences 48 328 400 375 298 
			 (1) S.225 and 226 Criminal Justice Act 2003-Detention for Public Protection in the case of offenders under 18.  (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (4) IPPs commenced on 4 April 2005.   Source:  Justice Statistics-Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice.

Squatting

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on squatting.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 3 November to the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley)  Official Report, column 835W.
	'We are considering whether the law in relation to squatting, or the way it is enforced, should be strengthened, but we have not yet reached any firm conclusions.'

Terrorism: Victim Support Schemes

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what date the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme will begin to operate; and on what date it is likely to make its first payments to victims of overseas terrorism.

Crispin Blunt: Decisions have not yet been taken on this scheme.

Youth Justice Board

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will put in place arrangements to ensure all areas of the UK have the same access to youth justice services after the abolition of the Youth Justice Board.

Crispin Blunt: The decision to abolish the Youth Justice Board will not impact on the delivery of youth justice services in England and Wales. The main functions of the Youth Justice Board will remain in place. This includes the oversight of local authority youth offending teams, disseminating effective practice, commissioning a distinct secure estate and placing young people in custody. These functions will take place within a distinct delivery framework within the Ministry of Justice.
	The Youth Justice Board's responsibilities cover England and Wales only. The responsibility for the delivery of youth justice services in Scotland and Northern Ireland is devolved to those administrations.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to reformulate its definition of creative industries to take into account recent  (a) cultural and  (b) commercial developments in the digital media sector.

Edward Vaizey: The Department has no current plans to reformulate its definition of the creative industries. However we have recently produced an updated Standard Industrial Codes framework. This will enable greater accuracy in our forthcoming 2010 economic estimates for the creative industries, which has by the nature of the exercise entailed a slight revision of the areas included.

Arts

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to collect data on the number of jobs in the digital arts industry; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the digital arts sector to the economy.

Edward Vaizey: The Department does not collect data specifically for the digital arts industry. However, it does produce annual estimates of the contribution of the creative industries to the economy in terms of gross value added (GVA) and the number of people employed in the creative industries. The latest version of this publication was released in February 2010, and can be accessed at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/research_and_statistics/4848.aspx

Arts

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he last visited a digital arts enterprise.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State visited iBurbia studios in Chiswick on 11 November.

Arts

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to encourage  (a) new starts and  (b) relocations from overseas in the digital arts sector; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to ensure that the creative industries, including the Digital Arts, are able to take full advantage of appropriate measures to encourage the development of start-up businesses and entrepreneurship.
	UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) assists UK based companies in the creative industries sector to succeed in international markets and assists overseas creative companies to invest in the UK. UKTI will be announcing a new four-year strategy, for the lifetime of this Parliament, early in the new year.

BBC

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with the Director-General of the BBC; and whether the matter of pensions was discussed.

Edward Vaizey: The permanent secretary, Jonathan Stephens, had a meeting with Mark Thompson on 10 November, during which the BBC pension scheme was not discussed. There have been no other meetings with the director-general of the BBC since the terms of the licence fee agreement were settled on 18 and 19 October. The cost of BBC pensions was referred to in discussing the settlement.

Broadcasting: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment in respect of the economic effects on the Scottish broadcasting sector of the Government's decision not to accept the recommendation by Ofcom that Scottish Television should be classified as a qualified independent producer.

Edward Vaizey: An impact assessment was undertaken as part of the consultation exercise on the potential reclassification of production companies owned by Channel 3 licence holders.
	The impact assessment analysed the problem, the case for government intervention, the policy objectives and the costs and benefits of the recommendation in the Digital Britain White Paper. The assessment included an estimate from STV of how it would benefit if the recommendation were implemented. The assessment was published as part of the consultation:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/consultations/6415.aspx

Departmental Grants

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated in grants for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and how much such funding he plans to allocate for 2011-12.

John Penrose: The first table shows grants (both capital and resource) that have been awarded by the Department in 2009-10 and 2010-11, and those announced for 2011-12. The second table includes grants in 2009-10 and 2010-11 for those organisations where announcements for 2011-12 have yet to be made.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Grant  Organisation  2009-10  2010-11( 1)  2011-12 
			 National Coal Mining Museum of England National Coal Mining Museum of England 2,805 2,794 2,707 
			 Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums 2,399 2,847 1,918 
			 Design Museum Design Museum 425 424 328 
			 National Football Museum National Football Museum 105 105 0 
			 People's History Museum People's History Museum 373 173 168 
			 Former Royal Naval College Greenwich Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College 1,500 1,455 1,388 
			 Chatham Historic Dockyard The Historic Dockyard, Chatham 850 291 278 
			 Restoration of the Cutty Sark Cutty Sark Trust 0 0 3,000 
			 Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme Groups occupying eligible Places of Worship 14,696 14,469 (2)12,100 
			 National Film and Television School National Film and Television School 3,059 3,038 2,904 
			 Strategic Commissioning Grants for Museum and Arts Education(3) National Museums, Galleries, the British Library and Arts Council England 2,013 1,885 0 
			 British Chess Federation British Chess Federation 60 45 0 
			 Free Swimming-Grants for Under 16s and over 60s Local Authorities in England 34,045 11,318 0 
			 Free Swimming-regional co-ordinators and swimming lessons(3) Amateur Swimming Association 5,816 2,684 0 
			 Develop Smart phone application to provide access to Culture 24 database Culture 24 50 0 0 
			 Creative Bursaries The Jerwood Foundation 350 0 0 
			 Music Rehearsal Spaces Sound Connections 368 0 0 
			 Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence evaluation Skills Active 5 0 0 
			 Development Grant The Jewish Museum 100 0 0 
			 Operational Grant The Wedgwood Museum 25 0 0 
			 Development Grant The Wiener Library 100 0 0 
			 Development Grant Bletchley Park Trust 250 0 0 
			 Restoration of King Edward's Chair Westminster Abbey 150 0 0 
			 TV on Demand ATVOD Ltd 120 0 0 
			 Community Radio Community Media Association 40 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  £000 
			  Grant  Organisation  2009-10  2010-11( 1) 
			 DCMS/Wolfson Museum and Galleries Improvement Fund(3) Museums and Galleries with eligible collections 4,656 5,682 
			 Connections through Culture British Council-China 100 100 
			 Memorials Grant Scheme Registered Charities and Faith Groups 87 500 
			 Own Art-running costs of the art purchase scheme(3) Art Co (trading arm of Arts Council England) 250 375 
			 Take it Away-running costs of musical instrument purchase scheme(3) Art Co (trading arm of Arts Council England) 750 625 
			 Youth Mentoring-Music Youth Music 333 322 
			 Poetry Archive Poetry Archive Ltd 120 120 
			 Poetry Society Poetry Society 6 11 
			 Change4life(3) Youth Sport Trust 3,380 750 
			 Dancelinks Arts Council England 100 50 
			 UK School Games Legacy Trust UK 10 725 
			 Tourism for All Tourism for All 10 15 
			 International Inspirations(3) II Foundation 800 1,600 
			 Youth mentoring - Media Media Trust 333 323 
			 Tsunami Memorial Tsunami Support UK (TSUK) 150 400 
			 (1) Total value of the grants in 2010-11, planned or forecast. (2) This sum is gross of administration costs for the scheme. (3) These grants are fully or part funded by other organisations or Government Departments.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department has assessed the merits of providing support for the switchover to digital radio to people who  (a) are blind or partially sighted,  (b) have low incomes,  (c) are aged over 65 years and  (d) have learning disabilities or cognitive difficulties.

Edward Vaizey: As part of the ongoing work of the Digital Radio Action Plan the Government will be looking closely at which listeners, if any, would be disproportionately disadvantaged by a digital radio switchover. These considerations, along with the cost benefit analysis and impact assessment will determine whether provisions need to be made to support some listeners in switching to digital radio.
	To ensure future policy takes account of the wide range of listeners' needs, the Consumer Expert Group (which originally formed to inform the digital TV switchover process) has agreed to extend its scope to cover radio.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has plans for a public information campaign prior to the digital radio switchover.

Edward Vaizey: If a decision is made to set a digital radio switchover date, we expect it will be supported by a comprehensive public information campaign.

Olympic Games 2012

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the legacy for the North East of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 Games.
	The north-east stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 Games, through businesses winning Games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how the north-east will benefit from the Games are as follows.
	Across the UK over 124,000 companies have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised) and over 1,200 contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers. Information on businesses in the north-east that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available on the London 2012 website at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/index.php
	St James Park is a 2012 venue for the preliminary rounds of the football competition and will be one of the key non-London venues. Along with Pre-Games Training Camps it will provide an opportunity to create further economic benefits, including inward investment, through the international attention that will follow. In the north-east there are 20 facilities, that met the criteria to be world-class training venues for Olympic and Paralympic sport, which are included in the official London 2012 Pre- Games Training Camp Guide. The guide is accessible at the following link:
	http://trainingcamps.london2012.com
	Agreements have been signed with the Olympic Committee of Colombia and the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka to hold training camps in the region before the start of the Games.
	Over 890 cultural and sporting programmes across the UK have been awarded Inspire Marks, including 50 in the north-east. Over 15,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for LOCOG's education programme 'Get Set'; 693 of those are in the north-east-53.6% of the total number in the region.
	The north-east has secured £1.53 million from the Legacy Trust for the region's 'Generation 2012' project. This initiative provides opportunities for regional cultural organisations and young people to work together to develop up to 10 high quality, aspirational 2012 projects in the region, bringing people together for community activities of all kinds.
	In addition, I recently announced the 'Places People Play' programme, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring people to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further detail can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7565.aspx

Olympic Games 2012: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the potential legacy for Yorkshire and the Humber of the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy from London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to realise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 Games.
	Yorkshire and Humberside stands to gain from the wide range of opportunities created by the 2012 games, through businesses winning games-related work, increased tourism and cultural celebrations. Some examples of how Yorkshire and Humberside will benefit from the Games are as follows.
	Across the UK over 124,000 companies have registered on Competefor (the website where London 2012 contract opportunities are advertised) and over 1,200 contracts have been awarded to Competefor suppliers. Information on businesses in Yorkshire and Humberside that have directly supplied the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is available on the London 2012 website at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/index.php
	Locations across the UK, particularly those that are hosting international teams in pre-games training camps (PGTCs), have additional opportunities to realise the economic benefits of the games. Agreements have been signed with five teams to hold training camps in the region, including agreements with the USA diving team and the Netherlands swim team.
	Across the UK over 850 cultural and sporting programmes have been awarded Inspire Marks, 66 being in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. Over 15,000 schools and colleges have registered for LOCOG's education programme Get Set; 1,273 are registered in Yorkshire and Humberside.
	Through the Legacy Trust UK Yorkshire has created "imove", the region's signature programme for the Cultural Olympiad. It aims to transform the relationship between people in Yorkshire and their moving bodies through unique crossovers between culture, sport and physical education.
	In addition, I have recently announced the "Places People Play" programme, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring people to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further details can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7565.aspx

UK Film Council

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  which organisations will be responsible for the functions carried out by the UK Film Council after its abolition;
	(2)  which body will be responsible for securing inward investment into the British film industry following the abolition of the UK Film Council.

Edward Vaizey: An announcement on where key UKFC functions will be transferred will be made by the end of November.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Constituencies

Alan Reid: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what constitutes the area of a constituency as referred to in Part 2 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill; and what consideration is given to inland water and tidal changes when defining such an area.

Mark Harper: The Bill does not define the area of a constituency but the Government understand that the Boundary Commissions will use data provided by the Ordnance Survey in calculating the area of constituencies. The National Statistics dataset called standard area measurements measures area to "Extent of the realm"-which includes the foreshore, areas of inland water, statutory seaward extensions to local authority areas and excludes any other areas of sea.

Electoral Register

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he is taking steps to monitor the performance of returning officers.

Mark Harper: The Government do not plan to take any specific steps to monitor the performance of returning officers. Under the Electoral Administration Act 2006, the Electoral Commission may determine and publish performance standards for returning officers, counting officers and electoral registration officers. To date, the Commission has published performance standards for both returning officers for the conduct of elections, and electoral registration officers for their registration duties. We will closely monitor the impact of performance standards on driving up the overall quality of electoral administration. The Commission has also published reports drawing together its findings on the performance of regional returning officers and local returning officers at the 2009 European parliamentary and local elections.
	The Electoral Commission have informed me that they will be monitoring the performance of the deputy chief counting officer and counting officers for the referendum on the law-making powers of the National Assembly for Wales to be held on 3 March 2011, and of the regional counting officers and counting officers across the United Kingdom in running the proposed referendum on the voting system on 5 May 2011. The Commission will also be monitoring the performance of returning officers who will be running combined events in Great Britain, such as the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and English local elections.

CABINET OFFICE

BBC

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent meetings Ministers in his Department have had with the director-general of the BBC; and whether the matter of pensions was discussed at those meetings.

Nick Hurd: Details of Cabinet Office Ministers' meetings with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis. Information for the period 13 May- 31 July can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about-cabinet-office/plans-performance/ministers-data.aspx
	Information for 1 August to 30 September will be published shortly.

BBC

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent meetings  (a) officials and  (b) special advisers in his Department have had with the Director-General of the BBC; and whether pensions were discussed at those meetings.

Francis Maude: Civil servants, including special advisers, have meetings with many organisations and individuals on a range of subjects. A record of such meetings is not held centrally.

Charities

Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to bring forward secondary legislation to enable charitable incorporated organisations to be incorporated under the provisions of the Charities Act 2006.

Nick Hurd: Our aim is to get the necessary supporting legislation before Parliament for debate early next year with a view to the first charitable incorporated organisations being established from spring 2011. I have yet to agree the implementation timetable, but the availability of the charitable incorporated organisation model for existing charities will have to be phased in over time to help manage the expected demand.

Charity Commission: Finance

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 28 October 2010,  Official Report, columns 414-15W, if he will take steps to ensure that the Charity Commission's funding settlement for the period to 2015 does not adversely affect the Commission's ability to  (a) investigate allegations of fraud,  (b) investigate allegations of diverting charitable funds to international terrorist organisations and  (c) enforce charity law.

Nick Hurd: The Charity Commission, like other Government Departments, is facing tough decisions about its future priorities. It is undertaking a strategic review to focus on the key priorities for its future work, including seeking the views of the public and other stakeholders. In addition, the statutory review of the Charities Act 2006 which is due to take place in 2011 will consider potential changes to the legislative framework for charities and the commission.
	I will discuss the points raised by the hon. Member when I next meet the commission's chair and chief executive. I do not want to pre-empt the outcome of the commission's strategic review, but I am confident that the commission can continue to be an effective regulator of charities in England and Wales.

Departmental Post Offices

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in each year since 2004-05.

Francis Maude: The amounts the Cabinet Office has paid to  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in each year since 2004-05 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Post Office Ltd  Royal Mail 
			 2004-05 - 400,396 
			 2005-06 - 205,431 
			 2006-07 - 220,403 
			 2007-08 - 219,021 
			 2008-09 - 223,433 
			 2009-10 - 202,454

Departmental Post Offices

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

Francis Maude: The vast majority of mail services for the Cabinet Office and the Emergency Planning College (EPC) in York are provided by Royal Mail.
	Directgov is working with the Post Office on a pilot to identify how Government Departments can deliver the services that are available on Directgov to a wider audience via the Post Office network.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what regulations sponsored by his Department have been revoked in the last six months.

Francis Maude: In the last six months, my Department has not revoked any regulatory measures.
	However, the Cabinet Office has the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and its associated regulations under review, with a view to rationalising regulatory burdens. The Charities Act 2006 contains a requirement that it is reviewed in 2011.
	We have also launched a Civil Society Red Tape Taskforce, chaired by Lord Hodgson, with the intention of making it easier to run a charity, voluntary organisation or social enterprise by identifying areas where bureaucracy can be reduced or simplified. The taskforce will be reporting early in 2011.
	We will also be continuing to scrutinise our stock of regulation and pipeline measures inherited from the previous administration with a view to finding OUTs, for the One-in, One-out regulatory management system.

Departmental Regulation

John Redwood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what new regulations sponsored by his Department have been introduced through  (a) primary legislation and  (b) statutory instrument in the last six months.

Nick Hurd: My Department has not introduced any regulatory measures to Parliament in the last six months.

Employment

Jake Berry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of the working population of Rossendale and Darwen constituency is employed in the  (a) public and  (b) private sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of the working population of Rossendale and Darwen constituency is employed in the (a) public and (b) private sector. (025362)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) preferred source of statistics for public sector employment is the Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (QPSES) and external sources, however figures from this source are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
	Alternatively public sector employment statistics for local areas can be calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS). Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. Consequently, the classification of an individual's sector may differ from how they would be classified in QPSES statistics.
	According to APS figures, in the 12 month period April 2009 to March 2010, 68 per cent of the working population of the Rossendale and Darwen constituency were employed by the private sector with the remaining 32 per cent employed in the public sector.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Government Departments: Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will estimate the number of  (a) directly-employed and  (b) contracted staff of Government Departments who are being paid at a rate under £7.85 per hour.

Francis Maude: For staff outside the senior civil service (SCS), pay and grading is delegated to Departments and agencies, enabling management to set pay levels that meet their own particular business, operational and work force needs. Under the delegated arrangements, Cabinet Office does not collect the information requested.
	The Office for National Statistics collects and publishes earnings information covering the home civil service as part of its Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. The latest available data, as at 31 March 2009, are available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/Product.asp?vlnk=2899
	The Cabinet Office does not collect the information requested on staff employed by private contractors working in Government Departments.

Government Departments: Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he plans to take in circumstances where Government departments have not  (a) initiated plans to increase the number of contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises and  (b) met the aspiration for 25 per cent. of contracts to be awarded to such enterprises.

Francis Maude: We fully expect that Departments will take the actions needed to fulfil the 25% aspiration, supported by the measures we announced on 1 November.
	A number of the actions will be mandated for central Departments, with non-compliance made transparent.

Inquiries: Public Appointments

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what the usual criteria are which are applied to the suitability of a candidate for engagement as Secretary to a Government inquiry; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the letter to the hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, what the internal Cabinet Office human resource processes are which come into play when a press secretary to the secretariat of a Government inquiry is appointed; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: When the Government decide to establish an independent inquiry, decisions about the appointment of the Inquiry Secretary are taken by the relevant Department in consultation with the inquiry chairman.
	An Inquiry Secretariat including press office staff is usually staffed by civil servants seconded from Government Departments which will follow departmental HR procedures. In considering the suitability of individuals for the roles, a number of factors will be taken into account including the individual's availability, their skills and experience that may be relevant for the role, and the potential for any conflict of interest.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in  (a) Wellingborough and  (b) the UK.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated November 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in (a) Wellingborough and (b) the UK (21571).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	The most recent number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance in Wellingborough and UK are available from the latest Labour Market Statistics Bulletin for the East Midlands at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/lmsemids1110.pdf

MI5: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the budget was of the Security Service in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10; and what his latest estimate is of the budget for 2010-11.

Francis Maude: The budget for the Security Service forms an element of the security and intelligence agencies' budget which is voted by Parliament as a consolidated allocation. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal details of the security and intelligence agencies' budgets and spending, beyond that which is already published.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which hon. Members are Parliamentary Private Secretaries in each Department.

Francis Maude: A list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries was published on 17 November 2010 and is available at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2010/11/government-publishes-list-of-parliamentary-private-secretaries-57099

Public Sector: Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  which public bodies have adopted the 2009 guidance of the Office of Government Commerce, Promoting skills through public procurement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of apprenticeships which have been created as a result of application of the 2009 guidance of the Office of Government Commerce, Promoting skills through public procurement.

Nick Hurd: This information is not held centrally.

Serco

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent discussions he has had with Serco on its provision of services to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: I have been leading a programme of negotiation with the Government's top suppliers. This work was identified as a key element of the package of measures designed to deliver £6.2 billion of savings during 2010-11, and involves discussions across the portfolio of contracts each supplier holds with central Government.
	I have not had any discussions with Serco specifically in relation to the provision of services to the Cabinet Office.

Third Sector: Finance

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department plans to ring-fence funding allocated to local authorities for use by voluntary and community groups.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply.
	Spending decisions are, and will continue to be, a matter for local authorities, and we do not intend to place restrictions on any decisions they might make on funding, including grants to the voluntary sector. We and local authorities recognise the rich diversity of voluntary and community groups and their potential for delivering what people want. We do not expect authorities to respond to reductions in their budgets by passing on disproportionate cuts to other service providers, especially the voluntary sector.
	I also refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 17 November 2010,  Official Report, column 805W, to the hon. Member for Sefton Central (Bill Esterson).

Third Sector: Finance

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the likely effects on the level of financial support for local voluntary and community groups of the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review.

Nick Hurd: It is currently too early to evaluate the impact of the comprehensive spending review on voluntary and community groups; however the Cabinet Office is working closely with partners in the sector, across Government and the Third Sector Research Centre to examine the exposure of the sector to public spending reductions and mitigate potential impacts.
	The big society presents a great opportunity for voluntary and community groups, as we open up public services and devolve power; and the Government are therefore committed to supporting the sector through this transitional period. This includes: a £100 million transition fund to help organisations with shortfalls in the short-term; publishing evidence and best practice to support government at all levels to make cuts wisely and in partnership with the sector; and, setting out policy measures to open up new sources of funding and help the sector maximise new opportunities in the strategy document "Building a Stronger Civil Society".

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Finance

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future real terms level of Government grant to  (a) the Workers' Educational Association and  (b) other specialist designated institutions providing adult education in the current Parliament.

John Hayes: "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" (16 November 2010) sets out the funding strategy for post-19 further education (FE) and skills. In 2011-12 financial year we will invest £3.9 billion to support an expansion of Adult (19+) Apprenticeships, fully subsidise basic literacy and numeracy and first full level 2 and level 3 qualifications for young adults. We will also support individuals who are unemployed and on active benefits, and protect and reform spending on adult and community learning.
	The allocation of funding for the 2011/12 academic year will be carried out by the Skills Funding Agency, over the coming months, in line with the overall post-19 FE and Skills funding envelope. This will include making funding allocations for the Workers' Educational Association and other specialist designated institutions.

Cement: EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the likely financial costs to the cement industry in each EU member state of compliance with the EU Commission's proposal for a hybrid clinker benchmark for phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Mark Prisk: The Minister has met with representatives from the UK cement industry, to discuss the free allocation rules for phase III of the EU ETS (the benchmarking proposals).
	The cement industry has provided information to the Minister and to BIS officials on the impact of the current benchmarking proposals within the UK. This information includes estimates of the financial costs of the proposals within the UK. These estimates vary depending on the level of the carbon price and how the proposals are implemented.
	BIS does not hold data on the likely financial costs to the cement industry in other EU members states.
	The information provided by the cement industry indicates that the UK's particular supply chain structure is significantly different to that of other members states. The benchmarking proposals do not currently take this difference into account.
	BIS officials are working closely with DECC officials to analyse the proposals in detail in order to assess the impact on industry. They will also be having discussions with the European Commission on this issue and further discussions with industry before any conclusions are reached.

Company Reports

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make it his policy to ensure that company reports contain accurate, balanced and reliable information on social and environmental issues; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: To meet a coalition commitment, the Department has recently consulted on the future of narrative reporting with the objective to drive up the quality of narrative reporting to the standard of the best including on social and environmental issues. The Department is now considering the responses and will publish a summary in December.

Departmental Internet

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's budget is for websites for 2011-12.

Edward Davey: The BIS website budget for 2011-12 has not yet been finalised, but I am able to provide an outline of planned spend for the corporate website,
	www.bis.gov.uk
	£180,000 is contractually committed for the annual web hosting and service charge.
	Between £80,000 and £100,000 will be spent on website maintenance and development.
	Around £20,000 will be required for standards compliance and performance management activities, as mandated by Central Office of Information.
	Staff requirements for 2011-12 have yet to be determined.
	As a result of web convergence, there will also be cost associated with migrating BIS partner organisation websites onto the BIS web platform. For 2011-12 this is estimated to be £150,000 in total, based on an assumption of nine partners joining the platform. This cost will be paid by those partners.
	It should be noted that the new BIS web platform, launched in March 2010, will cost £2.5 million less over four years compared to the cost of the previous contract. And by offering that platform as a shared service for our partner organisations, the BIS family stands to save up to £2 million more.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to identify those of its services that could be provided through the Post Office network.

Edward Davey: On 9 November the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published the policy statement 'Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age'. This document provides detail on Government's ambition for the Post Office to function as a front office for local and central Government.
	As the Department that is responsible for Government's 100% shareholding in Post Office Ltd, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has worked alongside the Cabinet Office and Post Office Ltd to identify opportunities where the Post Office will be able to compete for future Government services across government and its agencies.
	The Department continues to take a constructive approach to explore opportunities where the Post Office can offer and compete for the provision of services.

Electric Cables: Compensation

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had on the future of wayleave payments.

Edward Vaizey: Wayleave discussions have taken place in connection with the discussion paper 'Broadband deployment and sharing other utilities infrastructure', published on 15 July. In the paper, wayleave payments were identified as one of the problems associated with sharing non-telecommunications utilities infrastructure. Wayleaves have also featured in preliminary discussions about whether it would be appropriate to carry out a review of the Electronic Communications Code.

Higher Education

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what modelling his Department has undertaken on the elasticity of demand for higher education; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 15 November 2010
	To support the Browne Review and the Government's response to it, we commissioned research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) to explore how changes in fees, grants and loans impact on young participation.
	This research exploited variation in grants, fees and loans over the period 1992-2007, and the results indicate that a £1,000 increase in fees, without any compensating increase in loans or grants, results in a 4.4ppt decrease in university participation, while a £1,000 increase in loans results in a 3.2ppt increase in participation, and a £1,000 increase in grants results in a 2.1 ppt increase in participation. So students do respond to changes in the price of HE.
	However, this research also concludes that the package of reforms introduced in 2006 had no impact on participation, largely because tuition fees were accompanied by large increases in loans and grants.
	 Source:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/docs/i/10-1188-impact-finance-on-university-participation.pdf

Higher Education

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were in higher education in  (a) England,  (b) Norfolk and  (c) Great Yarmouth constituency in each year from January 2005 to January 2010.

David Willetts: The latest available information on the numbers of enrolments from England, Norfolk local authority area, and Great Yarmouth constituency to higher education courses at UK higher education institutions is shown in the table. Figures for the 2009/10 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2011. Comparable figures for students enrolled on higher education courses at further education colleges are not available.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  from England( 2) , Norfolk local authority area( 3)  and Great Yarmouth constituency( 3) -UK higher education institutions( 4) , academic years 2004/05 to 2008/09 
			  Academic year  England  Norfolk  Great Yarmouth 
			 2004/05 1,433,010 17,245 1,405 
			 2005/06 1,466,660 17,440 1,425 
			 2006/07 1,461,895 18,605 1,475 
			 2007/08 1,454,995 17,215 1,520 
			 2008/09 1,504,500 17,240 1,510 
			 (1) Covers postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments to full-time and part-time courses. (2) Covers English-domiciled students. (3) Figures in the table do not include enrolments where the local authority or the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid postcode information. (4) Excludes the Open University due to inconsistencies in their coding of students across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Higher Education: Cumbria

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he plans to take to support potential students from West Cumbria who wish to access higher education opportunities.

David Willetts: The Government have set out plans to reform higher education student finance which will offer a more generous package of financial support for students wishing to attend university in 2012/13, including those from West Cumbria. No full-time student will need to contribute to their tuition costs up-front and students from families with incomes of £25,000 or less will be entitled to a more generous full maintenance grant of £3,250 a year. Those from families with incomes up to around £42,000 will be entitled to a partial grant. For the first time, students starting part-time courses in 2012/13 will be entitled to an up-front loan towards their tuition costs so long as they are studying at an intensity of at least 33% of a full time course.
	Universities or colleges wishing to charge students more than £6,000 a year, up to a ceiling of £9,000, will be required to draw up an access agreement with the Office for Fair Access in order to widen participation in higher education. In addition, a new £150 million National Scholarships programme will guarantee bright potential students from poor backgrounds extra grant to help them meet the costs of going to university.

Higher Education: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding the Higher Education Funding Council for England has allocated for undergraduate courses in price groups C and D  (a) in total and  (b) for each higher education institution for 2010-11.

David Willetts: holding answer 12 November 2010
	The information requested is in a table produced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. I will place a copy of it in the House Library. It should be noted that the data covers the 2010-11 academic year and may be subject to change. In addition, the figures give no indication of income to universities in future years. The Government have made clear that from 2012-13, funding for teaching will be rebalanced away from the HEFCE teaching grant and towards graduate contributions so that the sector is more responsive to the choices of students.

Higher Education: Finance

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much money from the public purse was spent on higher education in  (a) England,  (b) Norfolk and  (c) Great Yarmouth constituency in each year from January 2005 to January 2010.

David Willetts: The Department does not hold a consistent data set on which to give a global answer for the whole of higher education (HE) spend. We do have information covering the three main elements of Government funding to HE.
	 Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) g rants
	
		
			  Total HEFCE Grant 
			  Financial year  £000 
			 2005-06 6,697,186 
			 2006-07 7,014,360 
			 2007-08 7,413,454 
			 2008-09 7,506,778 
			 2009-10 7,955,120 
			  Source:  HEFCE Annual Reports 
		
	
	The two HEFCE-funded institutions in Norfolk received the following grant allocations:
	
		
			  University of East Anglia 
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2005-06 49,474,012 
			 2006-07 69,528,537 
			 2007-08 79,034,255 
			 2008-09 78,837,381 
			 2009-10 91,385,784 
			 2010-11 76,214,158 
		
	
	
		
			  Norwich University College of the Arts 
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2005-06 4,809,560 
			 2006-07 5,927,793 
			 2007-08 5,877,418 
			 2008-09 5,826,451 
			 2009-10 8,224,807 
			 2010-11 5,979,659 
		
	
	There are no directly HEFCE-funded institutions in Great Yarmouth constituency. HEFCE cannot identify funding for indirectly-funded further education colleges separately. The amount of funding they receive will depend on locally-negotiated agreements with partner higher education institutions (HEIs).
	 Science and research
	The following table gives spend on science and research spend through research councils to HEIs. One HEI in Norfolk is eligible for this funding. It does not include research spend by other Government Departments or research funding awarded by HEFCE which is included in the above figures. No expenditure can be identified as spent in Great Yarmouth constituency.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Financial year  University of East Anglia  UK 
			 2004-05 13,012 919,739 
			 2005-06 14,334 1,064,418 
			 2006-07 14,964 1,151,979 
			 2007-08 15,734 1,358,179 
			 2008-09 16,984 1,531,128 
		
	
	 Student Support Paid( 1) England and Norfolk
	
		
			  £m 
			  Academic year  England  Norfolk 
			 2004/05 2,577.7 29.7 
			 2005/06 2,835.7 33.0 
			 2006/07 4,057.0 47.3 
			 2007/08 4,931.4 57.5 
			 2008/09 5,930.8 70.5 
			  Source:  Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	Student support spend figures include the cash value of loans paid. This does not represent the long-term cost to public funds as the majority of loans will be repaid. Complete figures are not yet available after academic year 2008/09. Robust student support figures are not available at constituency level.
	(1) Loans, grants and allowances paid to students domiciled in England and studying in the UK. Excludes the tuition fee grants phased out after 2005/06 and part-time fee grants. Includes part-time course grants.

Met Office

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has assessed the merits of the Met Office competing with the private sector for commercial contracts.

Andrew Robathan: I have been asked to reply.
	The Met Office competes with the private sector for commercial contracts outside of the core National Meteorological Services.
	This has been considered in previous reviews and will be reassessed as part of a review of the Met Office. This will report on its findings by the end of March 2011.

Overseas Students: Scholarships

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans the Government has for the funding of the Fulbright Scholarship Programme.

David Willetts: We are still working our way through the detail of the spending review and are not yet in a position to confirm the level of funding for the Fulbright Scholarship Programme from 2011 onwards.
	We are very committed to our relationship with the United States and recognise the importance of the Fulbright Scholarship Programme. We will communicate the outcome of the funding settlement as soon as we are able.

Post Offices

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received on the payment of  (a) rent for council housing and  (b) council tax through the Post Office network.

Edward Davey: On 9 November this Government published the policy statement 'Securing the Post Office Network in the Digital Age'. This sets out the Government's future plans for the Post Office, and was clear that we view the Post Office network as ideally suited to act as a front office for government for both local and central Government.
	The Post Office Ltd provides bill payment facilities for around 370 local authorities, with the overwhelming majority covering council tax or rent payments.
	A pilot bringing together Sheffield city council, Post Office Ltd and the National Federation of SubPostmasters, will look at making better use of the Post Office network in the delivery of public sector services.

Postal Services: Leeds

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects Royal Mail to have delivered the backlog of undelivered mail in the Leeds area.

Edward Davey: Delivery of mail is an operational matter for the Royal Mail.
	I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Science and Technology Facilities Council: Finance

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which overseas facilities are part-funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council; and how much funding was allocated to each of those facilities in each of the last five financial years.

David Willetts: The following table shows how much the Science and Technology Facilities Council has contributed to funding overseas facilities through international collaboration agreements:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 European Space Agency 54.2 59.2 67.1 83.9 98.3 
			 European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) 79.1 78.3 77.8 80.1 86.8 
			 European Southern Observatory 32.9 18.1 19.4 25.8 28.3 
			 Institut Laue Langevin 15.3 13.2 12.7 16.6 17.0 
			 European Synchrotron Radiation Facility 6.6 0.9 0.5 0.1 0.4 
			 Anglo-Australian Telescope 1.9 0.9 0.4 0.1 0.4 
			 European Incoherent Radiation Facility 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.2 
			 European Science Foundation 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 Gemini 3.5 7.8 3.6 4.4 4.6 
			  Note:  The 2009-10 figures are provisional and the final position will be contained in the STFC audited accounts which will be published shortly.

UK Trade and Investment: Manpower

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff are employed by UK Trade and Investment in each location in each English region.

Edward Davey: UKTI is not an employer in its own right; for the majority of its human resource requirements it draws on civil service staff employed by one or other of its two parent Departments-the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
	In UKTI's trade delivery network in nine English regions, there are 364 people deployed to deliver UKTI services. Those people are mainly employed by private sector organisations and are employed for their business knowledge and experience. There are also some Government staff on placement with those organisations. In addition, UKTI has 54 people, comprising BIS and Government office staff, leading UKTI's trade delivery activity in the English regions.
	The breakdown of the total number of 418 people working on UKTI activity in each English region is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 East of England 42 
			 East Midlands 42 
			 North East 34 
			 North West 46 
			 South East 61 
			 South West 43 
			 West Midlands 57 
			 Yorks and Humber 46 
			 London 47

HEALTH

Abortion

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health's contribution on 2 November 2010,  Official Report, column 902, on termination of pregnancy, what steps his Department is undertaking to put in place informed consent, appropriate counselling and support for women before an abortion takes place.

Anne Milton: In accordance with Government policy and good practice guidelines, women requesting an abortion should already be fully informed of the pregnancy choices available to them, including alternatives to abortion such as keeping the pregnancy or adoption.
	Abortion service providers should adopt the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommendations contained in 'The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion' (2004). This guidance states that all women considering abortion, after discussion with a clinician, should be given written information on procedures, including risks and complications, to ensure that they are able to give informed consent. Counselling should be offered to women who request or who need additional support in the decision-making process, as well as to young women under 16 years of age.

Blood: Contamination

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department's review of the recommendations of the Archer inquiry into the supply of contaminated blood in NHS facilities will be concluded; and when he plans to announce its findings.

Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement given on 14 October 2010,  Official Report, column 30WS.

Dementia

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department disbursed from the central programme budget on dementia in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Paul Burstow: A total of £8,377,947.32 was spent from the Department's programme budget on dementia related work in 2009-10, and £5,380,094 has so far been spent from the budget in 2010-11.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and  (a) Post Office Ltd and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05.

Simon Burns: The Department does not have a contract with Post Office Ltd. or Royal Mail but has a trading agreement in place with Royal Mail to deliver a number of postal services. The amount of expenditure against this agreement is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 356,959 
			 2005-06 252,278 
			 2006-07 191,530 
			 2007-08 170,608 
			 2008-09 138,416 
			 2009-10 144,422 
		
	
	We do not hold the information for 1997-98 as during this period accounting information was not held centrally.

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services of his Department have been the subject of a contract awarded in a tender process in which Post Office Ltd. submitted a bid since 1997-98.

Simon Burns: From July 2008 to the present, the Department's financial database, Business Management System (BMS), shows that no contracts were let to Post Office Ltd. Prior to the introduction of BMS in July 2008, information about contracts held by the Department was not gathered centrally.

Diabetes: Counselling

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding he expects each primary care trust to allocate for counselling and psychological treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes in 2011-12;
	(2)  how many patients under the age of 18 years with Type 1 diabetes received counselling or psychological treatment in relation to their Type 1 diabetes in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not hold information on the number of patients under the age of 18 who have received counselling or psychological treatment in relation to their Type 1 diabetes. The Department also does not hold information on the future funding we expect each primary care trusts to allocate for diabetes services.
	It is for national health service organisations to determine the needs of their local population and to commission emotional and psychological support services to meet these needs using their resources appropriately.

Diabetes: Health Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the National Diabetes Audit, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the  (a) level of glucose control problems and  (b) risk of stroke and heart disease amongst people with diabetes.

Paul Burstow: Diabetes is in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), part of the general practitioner (GP) contract, which provides additional reward to GP practices for how well they care for patients based on performance against a number of agreed indicators. There are a range of indicators for diabetes which are key in the risk management for complications of the condition.
	In order to qualify for these incentives, GPs are required to record all patients aged 17 years and over with diabetes on a practice register and to undertake a series of tests on an annual basis to help assess and manage the risk of complications of diabetes including stroke and heart disease.
	The QOF indicators for diabetes are in line with recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) which lists a series of nine key tests and measures that are helpful in monitoring and managing the condition of a person with diabetes. The tests include measuring blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and making feet checks, and are important in helping to reduce the risk of complications such as stroke and heart disease. We would expect GPs to use the NICE guidance on diabetes to assist them in safely managing individualised blood glucose level in people with diabetes.

Drugs: Misuse

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions relating to overdoses of illegal drugs there were in  (a) England,  (b) Sussex and  (c) Brighton and Hove in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2009.

Anne Milton: Data on the number of hospital admissions relating to overdoses of illegal drugs are not collected centrally, such data as is available are finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis code indicates poisoning by an illegal substance and are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 England 10,278 10,440 11,574 11,504 12,117 
			 Primary care trusts covering the Sussex area 2,031 2,961 3,281 3,591 3,011 
			 Brighton and Hove 59 119 117 131 90 
			  Notes: 1. The Sussex county boundary does not match exactly with boundaries of the primary care trusts covering Sussex, therefore these figures should be treated as approximations of the total for Sussex. 2. Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes and do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 3. Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. Illegal Drugs defined by ICD-10 codes: T40.0 Poisoning by opium T40.1 Poisoning by heroin T40.2 Poisoning by other opioids T40.3 Poisoning by methadone T40.4 Poisoning by other synthetic narcotics T40.5 Poisoning by cocaine T40.6 Poisoning by other and unspecified narcotics T40.7 Poisoning by cannabis (derivatives) T40.8 Poisoning by lysergide (LSD) T40.9 Poisoning by other and unspecified psychodysleptics (hallucinogens) T41.2 Poisoning by other and unspecified anaesthetics (this includes Ketamine) T43.6 Poisoning by psychostimulants with abuse potential (this includes Ecstasy) 
			 4. Ungrossed data Ungrossed data (ie not adjusted for shortfalls). 5. Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding he has allocated for drug treatment services in  (a) England,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) Coventry in each of the next five years.

Anne Milton: A range of different funding streams funds drug treatment services. The main component is central Government funding known as the pooled treatment budget (PTB) which is held by the Department. This includes both the adult pooled treatment budget (£381.3 million) and the young peoples pooled treatment budget for substance misuse treatment (£25.4 million). £45.4 million is also allocated by the Department for prison drug treatment.
	In 2010-11 the pooled treatment budget was £406.7 million. This is in addition to an estimated £200 million spent by local partners, including the primary care trusts. Coventry was allocated £2,471,950 central funding for the adult pooled treatment budget and £158,233 for young peoples' substance misuse treatment.
	Central Government funding allocations for drug treatment in the next five years are yet to be agreed.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people commenced, but did not complete successfully a treatment programme for drug addiction in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The report 'Statistics from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) 1 April 2009-31 March 2010', published by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), contains data on the number of people recorded as 'treatment incomplete' for the last five years.
	A study published by the NTA in September 2010 ('A Long term study of outcomes of drug users leaving treatment-NTA 2010') showed that, over a four-year period, 43% of cases which were originally categorised as 'treatment incomplete' did not return either to treatment or to drug interventions in the criminal justice system. Copies of both reports have been placed in the Library.

General Practitioners

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that more patients can see their own doctors out of hours.

Simon Burns: As set out in the White Paper Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, we are committed to developing a coherent 24 hours a day, seven days a week urgent care service in every area of England, which will incorporate general practitioner (GP) out-of-hours services. The Government are committed to putting GPs in charge of commissioning urgent care services including out-of-hours care and we believe that empowering GPs and other health professionals in this way will achieve better and more patient-focused services.

General Practitioners

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on the duration of patient waiting times for out-of-hours services.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect information centrally on the duration of patient waiting times for out-of-hours services. Out-of-hours providers are required to provide clinical assessments and, where necessary, face-to-face consultations within certain time limits in line with the National Quality Requirements in the Delivery of Out-of-Hours Services, primary care trusts will hold data on compliance with these, although this may not include average waiting times data. My hon. Friend may wish to contact each primary care trust for this information.

General Practitioners

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP practices in each primary care trust area offer their patients out-of-hours care from doctors within the practice.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact each primary care trust for this information.

General Practitioners

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of his Department contacting all GP practices  (a) by letter and  (b) by email (i) on the last occasion on which it did so and (ii) in the latest year for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: There is no standard way to cost the drafting, clearance and issue of communications.
	It would be in exceptional circumstances only that the Department would contact practices direct by email or by letter. Communications to any given staff group would be issued in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. For general practitioner (GP) practices, the Department's usual policy is to disseminate information by regular electronic communications, such as the monthly GP Bulletin, which are placed on the Department's website.

General Practitioners: Suffolk

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were seen by out-of-hours services in  (a) Suffolk and  (b) South Suffolk constituency in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, my hon. Friend may wish to contact the Suffolk Primary Care Trust direct for more information.

Health Services: Carers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require primary care trusts to  (a) promote and safeguard the health and welfare of carers and  (b) ensure that effective procedures exist to identify patients who are carers; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We are making available over £400 million additional money over the next four years to enable primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with local government to support carers with breaks.
	We do not believe that a legislative approach is the way to proceed as this would place additional burdens on PCTs, on general practitioner (GPs) and on practice staff who should in any case be supporting carers in the light of existing good practice.
	We do believe that GPs have a vital role to play in the early identification and support of carers. This is why we are investing in face-to-face training and e-learning for GPs and their staff to make them more aware of the needs carers may have.

Health Services: Children

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether primary care trust baseline funding will include an allocation for disabled children's services in 2011-12.

Simon Burns: The Department currently makes revenue allocations direct to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of a national weighted capitation formula which is used to determine each PCT's target share of available resources. The components of the formula are used to weight each PCTs population according to their relative need (age and additional need) for healthcare and the unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing healthcare (the market forces factor).
	PCT revenue allocations are not broken down by policy or service area. Once allocated, it is for PCTs to commission the services they require to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations, taking account of both local and national priorities.
	Further details about PCT revenue allocations post 2010-11 will be announced in December 2010.

Health: Males

Paul Uppal: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to reduce the incidence of and mortality rate from cancer among men.

Paul Burstow: Lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, the harmful use of alcohol, drug misuse, poor diet and nutrition, being overweight and physical inactivity are acknowledged risk factors for a number of diseases in men, including cancer. Later this year, we will publish a Public Health White Paper setting out details of our strategy for improving public health and reducing the risk factors associated with developing conditions such as cancer.
	We know that the earlier a cancer is detected, the sooner treatment can begin and the better the outcomes is likely to be. Screening programmes and cancer awareness initiatives are key to achieving this. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NHSBCSP) is currently being extended to men and women aged 70 to 75, and those over the age of 75 will be able to self-refer every two years. Last month, we announced the introduction of a new screening technology for the NHSBCSP: flexible sigmoidoscopy. This can detect abnormalities before they become cancer, as well has helping to detect cancer early. Experts estimate this technology will save around 3,000 lives a year. £60 million has been provided for a four-year roll out and, subject to the approval of the UK National Screening Committee, pilots will begin next spring.
	In September, we announced that £9 million would be provided through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative to support 59 local campaigns that will work to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel, lung and breast cancers and to encourage early presentation at a general practitioner (GP) surgery. A further £1.75 million will be provided to pilot activity in two regions to test the viability of a possible national signs and symptoms campaign on bowel cancer. In preparing these campaigns, we are considering how to impact: on different groups in society, including how to influence men to present earlier at a GP surgery.
	We are also undertaking a review of the Cancer Reform Strategy to ensure that we have the right strategy to deliver improved cancer outcomes, including reducing incidence and mortality. This review is examining how to achieve equality of access, experience and outcomes in different groups of society. We plan to publish the review in winter.

Herbal Medicine

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions natural or herbal remedies have been found to contain  (a) heavy metals and  (b) undeclared pharmaceutical substances in the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has arrangements in place through the Medicines Testing Scheme (MTS) for the analytical testing of medicines on the UK market.
	MTS has reliable data in relation to this issue from 2005. From records held, the total numbers of products tested found to contain heavy metals or undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients are four and 282 respectively. Testing of products in this sector is generally carried out where there is reason to believe there may be a problem, rather than on a random basis.
	Examples of undeclared ingredients include cortico-steroids, slimming agents and banned herbs. These figures combine products specifically marketed as herbal, natural or traditional as well as products which are typically marketed as such. MHRA does not keep records of which of these products made specific claims to be herbal or natural.
	The MHRA will not necessarily arrange for testing of further samples in cases where specific unlicensed products have tested positive for adulterants and additional examples remain on the market unless such testing would advance public health protection or the appropriate regulatory action.

Hospital Beds

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he made of the proportion of available NHS beds which were in single room accommodation in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2002-03 and  (c) 2009-10.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the precise format requested.
	Since 2002-03, the Department has collected annual data from national health service trusts on the percentage of available beds provided for patient use that are single bedrooms. This data shows that in 2002-03, the proportion of single bedrooms was 22.6% of all available beds for patient use, and in 2009-10 it was 32.7 %.
	The information provided has been supplied by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.

Hospitals: Admissions

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 July 2010,  Official Report, column 638W, on hospitals: admission, who will decide whether a hospital re-admissions within 30 days of discharge is avoidable; and who will bear the cost of such an assessment.

Simon Burns: The Department will implement the proposed policy that from 1 April 2011 hospital trusts will not receive further payment for avoidable readmissions within 30 days of discharge in a way that minimises the burden to the national health service. Further details of the policy will be announced later in the year.

Maternity Services

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born at the roadside during journeys in excess of 20 minutes from the mother's home to the relevant maternity unit in 2009-10.

Anne Milton: This information is not collected by the Department.

Medical Records: Data Protection

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the merits of creating a unique identification key code for control of and access to patients health care records.

Simon Burns: Our consultation 'Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution' sets out the Government's ambitions for information to improve health and adult social care. Among a wide range of issues, the consultation covers proposals for giving people greater control of their care records so as to enable them to take greater control of their care. We will consider the merits of all ideas and practical proposals that may contribute to that aim.
	Existing national information technology systems and services are protected by the requirement that all users must have a smartcard. Smartcards are secure tokens that, together with a password, confirm the identity of staff and determine access rights to information.

Mental Health Services: Manpower

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many of the 3,600 extra therapists planned to be in place by 2010-11 under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme are in place; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many patients were treated under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Paul Burstow: By April 2011, 3,650 new therapy workers will be in place in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. In addition, more than 1,000 existing therapists have been given some additional training. The programme has brought more than 72,500 people to recovery so far and more than 13,000 people treated have come off sick pay and benefits.
	In the last two quarters of 2008-09, 43,792 patients entered treatment, with 181,947 in 2009-10 and 183,131 in the first two quarters of 2010-11. The programme is on track to see 900,000 people in its first three years, which have been in line with the academic years of the universities providing the training.

Mental Health Services: Regulation

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on the regulation of hypnosis and psychotherapy services.

Anne Milton: There have been no recent discussions with external organisations specifically with regards to the regulation of hypnosis and psychotherapy services. The Government are considering its overall strategy in relation to professional regulation for health and social care workers, in the light of written representations from interested parties.

Multiple Sclerosis

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of stem cell transplants in the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Anne Milton: The Department is not aware of any proven treatment for multiple sclerosis incorporating stem cell transplants.

National Specialised Services Advisory Group

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services will be required to review its decisions on treatments and services for specialised commissioning.

Simon Burns: The Advisory Group for National Specialised Services will regularly review its recommendations on highly specialised services and treatments that are commissioned nationally, usually every five years.

National Specialised Services Advisory Group

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the relationship between the Cancer Drugs Fund and his Department's new Advisory Group for National Specialised Services.

Paul Burstow: Plans for the Cancer Drugs Fund from April 2011 are currently subject to consultation, but it is not our intention that the fund should be used for drugs that form part of a service designated for specialised commissioning following advice from the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services.

NHS: Food

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department encourages NHS organisations to provide food of domestic origin.

Simon Burns: Under public sector procurement rules, the national health service is prohibited from placing a geographical restriction on the origin of food in any food procurement exercise.
	Some 60% of food ingredients supplied to the NHS is procured under contracts negotiated at a national level by NHS Supply Chain and the Department encourages NHS organisations to utilise these contracts where this helps them realise best value. In 2008-09, 64.5% of food ingredients provided through NHS Supply Chain contracts was grown or reared in the United Kingdom.
	The Department issued guidance to the NHS on the procurement of sustainable food in April 2009 in the document, "Sustainable Food: A Guide for Hospitals". This guidance advises food procurers how they can take account of sustainability, seasonal and local sourcing issues, in line with public sector procurement rules.
	A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Leasing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2010,  Official Report, column 332W, on NHS leasing, how much the NHS spent on the rental of each type of equipment in the last three years.

Simon Burns: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS: Local Government

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings he has had with local authorities to discuss the Health White Paper.

Paul Burstow: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Mr Lansley) and ministerial colleagues have met with local authority representatives, including local authority chief executives and directors of adult's and children's social services, at a number of events held over the summer to hear from key partners about the proposals set out in the White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS".

NHS: Voluntary Organisations

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of  (a) voluntary partnerships with industry and  (b) regulation in reducing the incidence of (i) obesity, (ii) alcohol abuse and (iii) tobacco smoking;
	(2)  what plans he has to reduce the incidence of  (a) obesity and  (b) alcohol abuse; and what account he plans to take of the views of industry representatives in formulating his Department's policy in these areas.

Anne Milton: The forthcoming public health white paper will set out the Government's strategy for improving the public's health, including tackling the challenges of smoking, obesity and alcohol misuse. Consultation with stakeholders, including industry representatives, is an important part of the formulation Government policy and it will continue as normal.
	The Public Health Responsibility Deal brings industry, the retail sector, the voluntary sector, non governmental organisations and local government together in a forum to consider and agree on a voluntary basis the actions that they will take to support the Government's public health ambitions.
	Government engagement with the tobacco industry on public health matters is governed by Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and its supporting guidelines. The guidelines specifically state that meetings with the industry or its proxies should be take place only when strictly necessary.
	There is a role for regulation to achieve health improvement. For example, on alcohol, the Government have already set out its intention to review the Licensing Act and implement a ban on below cost sales and on tobacco, legislation to stop tobacco sales from vending machines is due to come into effect on 1 October 2011.

Nurses: Vacancies

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurse posts were vacant on 1 October 2010.

Anne Milton: The numbers of specialist nurse posts that were vacant on 1 October 2010 is not collected by the Department.
	However, the NHS Information Centre for health and social care publish the NHS Vacancy Survey in England as at 31 March on a yearly basis. The following tables detail the number of qualified specialist nursing posts split by strategic health authority as at 31 March 2009, which is the most recent data available.
	
		
			  NHS Information centre for health and social care vacancies survey March 2009: vacancies by NHS strategic health authority area for qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 
			  Total vacancy numbers and rates (percentage) 
			   Total qualified nurses  Acute, elderly and general care  Paediatrics  Community learning disabilities  Other learning disabilities  Community psychiatry 
			  Total vacancy rates   
			 England 3.1 3.0 2.8 1.5 1.8 2.6 
			
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 1.0 0.8 0.4 1.6 0.0 0.8 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 2.2 1.6 3.0 1.8 1.1 2.8 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 3.1 2.7 2.4 2.1 1.1 2.8 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 2.8 2.6 1.2 0.9 1.6 2.1 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 2.3 2.5 2.3 0.8 0.4 1.1 
			 East Of England Strategic Health Authority area 4.1 3.9 4.2 2.3 4.8 3.1 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 5.1 5.2 4.6 1.1 1.3 4.9 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 2.9 3.1 2.8 0.5 0.6 1.4 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 2.9 2.8 1.7 3.1 9.1 4.3 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 2.6 2.4 1.5 0.0 1.2 2.5 
			 Special Health Authorities and Other Statutory Bodies 5.3 6.2 - - - - 
		
	
	
		
			   Other psychiatry  Midwives  District nurses  Health visitors  Qualified school nurses  Other qualified nurses 
			  Total vacancy rates   
			 England 2.7 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.5 4.3 
			
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 1.0 0.1 1.8 0.7 0.0 2.3 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 3.7 1.0 2.2 3.0 2.7 3.5 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 3.1 3.0 4.6 3.0 2.7 5.5 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 0.9 3.8 4.2 2.8 4.3 5.2 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 0.5 1.2 1.7 1.8 3.4 4.5 
			 East Of England Strategic Health Authority area 2.7 5.4 2.1 3.0 3.5 7.0 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 5.0 5.3 4.0 4.3 8.1 4.8 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 0.7 4.6 2.5 4.9 0.7 3.0 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 3.2 2.3 3.6 3.5 4.1 2.2 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 1.4 5.8 3.9 2.2 1.2 3.5 
			 Special Health Authorities and Other Statutory Bodies - - - - - 4.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Total vacancy numbers and rates (percentage) 
			   Total qualified nurses  Acute, elderly and general care  Paediatrics  Community learning disabilities  Other learning disabilities  Community psychiatry 
			  Total vacancy numbers   
			 England 10,014 5,331 464 40 64 406 
			
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 188 84 4 4 - 8 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 1,102 420 82 7 5 71 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 1,068 501 43 6 5 40 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 669 328 12 2 6 30 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 788 457 44 3 2 20 
			 East Of England Strategic Health Authority area 1,215 629 44 9 16 42 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 2,833 1,715 174 3 2 79 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 635 368 23 1 2 17 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 617 349 19 5 22 55 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 809 440 18 - 3 43 
			 Special Health Authorities and Other Statutory Bodies 91 43 - - - - 
		
	
	
		
			   Other psychiatry  Midwives  District nurses  Health visitors  Qualified school nurses  Other qualified nurses 
			  Total vacancy numbers   
			 England 729 693 260 269 95 1,663 
			
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 20 1 8 4 - 55 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 158 30 44 45 15 225 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 87 60 35 31 8 252 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 22 53 24 20 10 161 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 14 26 16 18 13 176 
			 East Of England Strategic Health Authority area 65 102 19 25 8 256 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 274 211 56 58 32 229 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 12 67 15 30 1 98 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 49 31 15 20 5 48 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 28 111 28 19 2 116 
			 Special Health Authorities and Other Statutory Bodies - - - - - 48 
			  Notes: 1. Total vacancy rates are vacancies expressed as a percentage of total vacancies plus staff in post from the previous September non-medical workforce census (full time equivalent). 2. A vacancy is defined as one which employers are actively trying to fill as at 31 March.  Source: The NHS Information Centre Vacancy Survey

Prescription Drugs: Imports

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies are responsible for enforcing legal requirements in respect of the import of prescription drugs; and whether he plans to review legislation in this area.

Simon Burns: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) an Executive agency of the Department, regulates medicines for human use in the United Kingdom through the Medicines Act 1968 and other supporting regulations.
	Offences under medicines legislation are criminal. The MHRA has powers to take action against manufacturers, which includes the activity of import from a third country (non European economic area member state) and distributors that fail to meet the provisions of medicines legislation and appropriate standards. The MHRA will take regulatory action where breaches are identified. This may take the form of revoking licences or the instigation of criminal proceedings and bring a criminal prosecution if and when necessary.
	The MHRA completed its last review of the licensing arrangements for pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors of medicines for human use in October 2005.
	A further review of the supply chain of medicines of human use in the UK is currently being conducted. This further review will take account of the outcome of the European Commission's own proposal for preventing counterfeit medicines entering the supply chain.
	If the prescription medicine for importation is also a controlled drug, importers also require a licence from the Home Office, under misuse of drugs legislation.

Respiratory Disease: Health Services

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether respiratory disease will be included as an improvement area in the NHS outcomes framework.

Simon Burns: We are developing an NHS Outcomes Framework, which will measure the overall progress of the national health service in delivering better health outcomes for patients. The Department is currently analysing responses to the recent consultation, and will be publishing a full consultation response and the first NHS Outcomes Framework in due course.

Sheffield Children's Hospital: Children

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an assessment of the likely effects on Sheffield Children's Hospital of the implementation of his Department's proposal to reduce the tariff for specialist children's services.

Simon Burns: The Department is engaging constructively with the specialist children's hospitals to understand the impact of the proposed tariff for 2011-12 and the costs incurred in providing specialist children's services. The outcome of this work will help inform the tariff for 2011-12 and beyond.

Social Services: Transport

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of social care providers receive funding for transport as part of individual service users in long-stay homes care packages.

Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected centrally. Local councils will contract with providers of care according to the needs of individual service users. The details of these contracts are not collected centrally by the Department or the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Tobacco: Sales

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the findings of the recent report by the Institute of Economic Affairs on the tobacco display ban in Canada; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: We are aware of the report by the Institute of Economic Affairs on the tobacco display ban in Canada. We are also aware of a number of other reports on the promotional role of tobacco displays, for example, Professor McNeil's reports evaluating the removal of tobacco promotional displays in Ireland on 1 July 2009 which were published on 19 November 2010.
	Departmental officials consider carefully all the evidence made available to them on tobacco control.

Winter: Health Services

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to provide for public health responses to winter weather in an addition to the existing NHS winter planning system.

Anne Milton: There is substantial planning in England before and during the winter season to protect the public's health.
	Effective planning is dependent on joint partnerships with local government, the local civil society, and the national health service. The Department also works with the Met Office on winter cold weather warning systems and a respiratory disease warning system for those working with vulnerable people.
	We also routinely provide a range of public information for people and professionals through funding the 'Keep Warm Keep Well' initiative.
	As part of our further work on effective public health for winter, we are working with the Met Office and public health champions in a number of regions to improve the way we communicate with people in local settings to accurately predict cold weather and provide an appropriate and effective response.